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Riley Leonard fantasy football news and podcast insights

Source-backed player signal from monitored fantasy football podcasts, shows, videos, articles, and social posts.

QBIND40 insightsLatest Sep 8, 2026
3
Positive signals
24
Negative signals
4
Sources
Sep 8, 2026
Latest update
NegativeDepth ChartSep 3, 2026Stampede Blue
Riley Leonard will open the season as the Colts' QB3 after losing a competitive offseason battle with Anthony Richardson for the backup role. Leonard and Richardson split second- and third-team reps throughout training camp and each received extended preseason playing time. The source notes Leonard looked like a quarterback who needs time during the preseason, showing flashes during the Texans regular season game last season but requiring developmental time. Keeping him as QB3 allows the Colts to develop him without rushing the process, and he still looks like a strong option for the long-term QB2.
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NegativeDepth ChartSep 3, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL
Leonard will open the season as QB3 after losing the backup quarterback competition to Anthony Richardson. He and Richardson split second- and third-team reps throughout training camp and each received extended playing time during the preseason. The source notes that Leonard still has developmental appeal, but asking him to be the primary backup this early would have been a tough sell. He showed flashes during the Texans regular season game last season, but this preseason he looked like a quarterback who needs time. Keeping him as QB3 allows the Colts to develop him without rushing the process, and he still looks like a strong option for the long-term QB2.
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NegativeProjectionAug 29, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL
Leonard lost the backup QB competition to Anthony Richardson despite being more consistent during training camp. In the preseason finale, Leonard was limited to 12 snaps and struggled in his final drive, throwing an interception to cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. after short-arming a bubble route and floating a pass into the diving hands of the cornerback. Across three preseason games, Leonard finished 20-of-42 for 199 passing yards with two interceptions and two fumbles, underperforming Richardson's efficiency and consistency.
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NegativeProjectionAug 29, 2026Stampede Blue
Sixth-round QB in 2025 draft limited to 12 snaps in preseason finale and 'probably wishes that he could erase the last four.' Over three preseason games, Leonard finished 20-of-42 for 199 passing yards with two interceptions and two fumbles. The source notes Leonard was 'more consistent during training camp,' but preseason performance was inferior to Richardson; his final drive included a critical interception to cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. after short-arming a bubble route and being disrupted by Lions blitz.
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NegativeRoleAug 25, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL
Colts 2nd-year quarterback Riley Leonard has struggled through his first two preseason games and has been outplayed by backup challenger Anthony Richardson Sr. in the competition for the team's QB2 job. Leonard's poor preseason performance has put him at risk of being relegated to the QB3 job, though the source notes there is still one preseason game remaining and Leonard could still compete if he performs well with the 3s in the second half while Richardson Sr. struggles in the first half.
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NegativeDepth ChartAug 25, 2026Stampede Blue
Second-year quarterback Riley Leonard is in competition with Anthony Richardson Sr. for the Colts' QB2 job but has struggled through his first two preseason games. Leonard's poor performance has put him behind Richardson Sr. in the depth chart race; if Leonard plays well with the third-string unit in the preseason finale while Richardson Sr. struggles in the first half, the competition could reopen, but neither challenger has clearly distanced himself from the other so far in training camp and preseason.
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PositiveRoleAug 24, 2026Footballguys
Backup quarterback Riley Leonard is building a strong case to be the team's backup quarterback with continual consistency in his play. Leonard got the start in the team's preseason game against the Falcons but failed to produce momentum to pull away from Richardson. In the team's first preseason game, Leonard came in for relief in the second half and threw an interception on 10-of-21 passing and had a fumble, but has been performing with more consistency than Anthony Richardson Sr. throughout camp.
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NegativeRoleAug 23, 2026Stampede Blue
Leonard played with the 2s against the Falcons in a QB2 battle with Anthony Richardson. The source notes there were more positives than negatives in his performance: he made big throws on third down, did not turn the ball over, and showed several positive plays and throws. However, the source also emphasizes the harsh reality that neither Leonard nor Richardson looks ready for regular-season NFL action, and if the Colts were forced to play either backup right now, they would be in serious trouble.
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NegativeProjectionAug 22, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL
The source assesses Leonard as looking more the part of a developmental QB3 after a poor preseason Week 2 outing (7 of 14, 62 yards, 0 TDs, 1 fumble) against Atlanta, following an equally sluggish performance in his preseason debut. Despite a limited but strong sample in the 2025 regular season finale against Houston's first-team defense, the source notes this was a very limited sample size and that head coach Shane Steichen is a notoriously adept game scripter, especially in the first half. Leonard needed a rebound outing to stay in the QB2 race but instead performed worse than his previous game, suggesting he is not the preferred backup option.
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NegativeProjectionAug 22, 2026Stampede Blue
2nd-year QB Leonard needed a rebound outing in the QB2 race after a sluggish preseason debut, but was just as bad or worse against Atlanta, completing 7 of 14 pass attempts for 62 passing yards (4.4 avg.), 0 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, and a fumble. The source assesses Leonard as looking more the part of a developmental QB3 rather than a viable QB2 option, citing his limited sample size from the 2025 regular season finale and noting that Indianapolis brought back veteran Philip Rivers rather than starting Leonard down the stretch.
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NegativeProjectionAug 22, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL
Second-year quarterback Riley Leonard started the preseason home opener against Atlanta but struggled significantly, finishing 7-of-14 passing for just 62 yards in the first half. Three of his seven completions came in garbage time when the Colts had no realistic chance of scoring. Indianapolis' first five possessions lasted just 24 plays and gained only 70 total yards, highlighting Leonard's inability to move the offense efficiently with the second unit.
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