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RotoWire NFL Articles fantasy football takes on Seth McGowan
Every source-backed article insight STACKED has extracted from RotoWire NFL Articles about Seth McGowan.
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Insights
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Positive
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Insight ledger
All RotoWire NFL Articles insights about Seth McGowan
PositiveValueSep 15, 2026
McGowan is rostered in only 1% of Yahoo and 0.9% of ESPN leagues, making him one of the best under-rostered handcuffs to stash on your bench.PositiveRoleSep 14, 2026
McGowan received minimal backup work with one target on six snaps, confirming a reserve role behind the lead back.PositiveRoleSep 8, 2026
McGowan, a rookie with the Colts, has been well ahead of second-year back DJ Giddens in the depth chart. He is a Jonathan Taylor injury away from being fantasy relevant.NegativeValueSep 4, 2026
McGowan (DraftKings ADP 223.1, Underdog ADP 211.0) is positioned as a speculative dart throw and insurance policy on Jonathan Taylor. Taylor dominated snaps last season with an 82.5% snap share (highest among all running backs) and 879 snaps (third-most), but missed 6, 7, and 3 games in the three seasons prior to 2025. The source acknowledges Taylor is not injury-prone but notes that running backs with heavy workloads have higher injury risk. McGowan, a soon-to-be 25-year-old rookie, was held back by off-field issues (2021-2023) but posted solid recent seasons, earned a combine invite, and recorded impressive jumps and a 4.49 40-yard dash for a 223-pound back. His last-round capital makes him cheap enough to roster as either JT insurance or a speculative final pick.NegativeRoleAug 24, 2026
Continued to receive No. 2 RB work in preseason week 2, but that was with DJ Giddens (hamstring) out of the picture. If Jonathan Taylor's handcuff were to be picked at the moment, it would be McGowan.NegativeRoleAug 24, 2026
McGowan started and played 27 snaps, taking nine touches for 32 yards. He is competing with DJ Giddens (hamstring) and Ulysses Bentley for the No. 2 RB job, though Giddens hasn't played in either preseason game and Bentley may be dealing with an unreported injury.NegativeRoleAug 20, 2026
McGowan's backup value is limited by the Colts' proven willingness to bring in veteran free agents upon dealing with injuries at QB and WR over the last 12 months; the same pattern would likely apply to RB injuries, reducing his standalone opportunity.NegativeRoleAug 17, 2026
McGowan played all 13 of the backfield's snaps during the first three drives but then lost a fumble on the one-yard line (though replay seemed to show he may have crossed the plane before the fumble). The source notes: 'Seth McGowan deserves the benefit of the doubt over DJ Giddens, but there are still plenty of other late-round darts I'd rather throw,' indicating caution despite the fumble.NegativeUsageAug 17, 2026
Seth McGowan got the start for the Colts in preseason Week 1 and took all of the RB touches on the first three drives, but the last of those was a lost fumble at New England's goal line. He didn't play after that, replaced by Ulysses Bentley.PositiveSleeperAug 11, 2026
Seth McGowan is a 25-year-old rookie seventh-round pick with a felony arrest in his record, far from what you'd call a blue-chip prospect, but has been clean off the field aside from the armed burglary charge that got him kicked out of Oklahoma, where he otherwise was highly promising and looked like an eventual standout NFL prospect; McGowan outplayed Las Vegas fourth-round pick Mike Washington when the two were at New Mexico State and it appears McGowan has a good shot at beating DJ Giddens for the RB2 role behind Jonathan Taylor.NegativeDepth ChartAug 1, 2026
Seth McGowan is competing with DJ Giddens to back up Jonathan Taylor for the Colts as a 2026 seventh-round pick. McGowan (6-0, 223) is heavier than Giddens (6-0, 212) but only marginally slower, logging a 4.49-second 40 compared to Giddens' 4.43. In terms of size-adjusted athleticism, either Giddens and McGowan are roughly equal or McGowan is slightly better. Both are relatively unproven as passing-down options and both struggled somewhat in blitz pickup in college. McGowan started over and outplayed 2026 fourth-round pick Mike Washington when the two played at New Mexico State. At ADP RB132, McGowan is positioned as a potential handcuff, though the Colts are a prime candidate to acquire a veteran by trade.NegativeRoleJul 23, 2026
McGowan, a seventh-round rookie pick, is competing with second-year DJ Giddens for the RB2 role in Indianapolis. The source notes that McGowan is capable of winning this competition; he started over and outproduced fourth-round Las Vegas pick Mike Washington when both played at New Mexico State. Unless one of the two takes clear control of the RB2 role in training camp, both would likely project as RB3 or RB4 on an NFL depth chart.