Owners who rolled the dice on Andrew Luck returning to form after
missing the entire 2017 season were rewarded handsomely last season,
as the former first overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft finished
the season as the No.5 fantasy quarterback.
Luck posted the highest completion percentage of his career (67.3),
and his 39 passing touchdowns were second only to Patrick Mahomes
(50). From a consistency perspective, only Matt Ryan and Mahomes
gave fantasy owners more consistent performances on a week-to-week
basis than Luck, with the former Stanford Cardinal standout posting
at least two passing touchdowns in 14 of his 16 regular season
games.
The Colts boast of the best offensive lines in the league, a
viable running game with Marlon Mack and Nyehim Hines, and the
most talented wide receiving and high-end group since Luck joined
the team in 2012. A calf injury that sidelined luck during minicamp
is lingering into training camp and beginning to become a concern.
The sky is the limit for Luck this year with a realistic chance
of finishing as the QB1 should he stay healthy and play all 16
games.
Mack catapulted into the top 10 at the running back position
with ten total touchdowns and 1111 combined rushing and receiving
yards last year. His 13.4 points per game were better than David
Johnson, Phillip Lindsay, and Leonard Fournette, and he scored
three more rushing touchdowns than Ezekiel Elliott.
The Colts did not add a young running back in the draft or and
have put veteran Spencer Ware on the PUP list, lending credence
to the narrative that the team intends on using Mack as their
first and second down back and Nyheim Hines as the receiving back
once again in 2019.
Another 10-touchdown season for Mack is not out of the question
based on the fact that the Colts project to be a top-10 offense
and the offensive line for Indy is one of the best in the league.
But the fact that Mack is not a heavily used back in the passing
game will limit his ability to finish as an elite fantasy running
back especially in PPR leagues.
Hines posted the sixth-most receptions among running backs in
2018, with 63 catches for 425 yards and two touchdowns as the
primary receiving and third-down back for the Colts.
The second-year player from North Carolina State once again projects
to be the pass-catching back behind starter Marlon Mack in what
could be an elite offense under Andrew Luck. The Colts boast arguably
the best offensive line in the league, and the skill portion players
at Luck’s disposal are the best he has ever had in his seven
years with the team.
Due to his limited rushing usage, just 85 carries in 16 games,
Hines’ value as a fantasy asset rests more in PPR formats
than standard. Another worry for Hines owners is the running ability
of rookie WR Paris Campbell, who could be used similarly by head
coach Frank Reich.
Hilton tied JuJu Smith-Schuster for the final WR1 spot based
on FFToday standard scoring. His 11.6 fantasy points per game
were the second-most of his eight-year NFL career and the third
time in which the speedy WR topped 11 FPts/G.
A lack of touchdown production has always limited Hilton’s
upside, as the former third-round pick from Florida International
has yet to top more than seven receiving touchdowns in any season.
Hilton makes up for his lack of receiving touchdowns by posting
six consecutive 100-plus target seasons, including a 2016 campaign
in which he led the league with 1,448 receiving yards.
The Colts project to be a top-5 offense this season backed by
an elite offensive line, a more than capable running back tandem
of Marlon Mack and Nyheim Hines, and the best wide receiving/tight
end corps Andrew Luck has ever had, with Hilton leading the group
as the WR1.
The overall improvement of the offense could lead to fewer targets
for Hilton. The big plays will be there, and Hilton will reward
his owners with a few monster games. Just don’t be surprised
if he finishes outside the top 12 at the position based on consistency
score, like he did last year as WR18.
The Colts lacked a big-bodied wide receiver who Andrew Luck could
lean on in the red zone. With T.Y. Hilton stretching the field,
and the tight end tandem of Jack Doyle and Eric Ebron patrolling
the middle along with Nyheim Hines, the Colts did not have someone
outside who could win 50/50 balls in the red zone.
To address this need, the Indy front office signed Devin Funchess
to a 1-year, $10 million free-agent deal over the offseason. Funchess
played four up and down seasons with the Carolina Panthers, with
his best season coming in 2017 when he caught 63 passes for 840
yards and a touchdown.
As the big WR in the offense, Funchess will likely see fewer
than 100 targets opposite of T.Y. Hilton and rookie Parris Campbell.
But those targets that come his way will likely be against the
No.2 or 3 cover corner on the opposition, and he could be a red
zone favorite for Luck.
WR Parris Campbell
(2018 WR Rank - N/A)
The Colts used a second-round pick on wide receiver Parris Campbell
from Ohio State University. As a member of the Buckeyes in 2018,
Campbell caught 90 passes for 1063 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Although not the tallest wide receiver as just under six feet,
Campbell boasts exceptional speed and elusiveness in the open
field. He has the ability to run both underneath and deep routes,
while also possessing the flexibly to take runs on sweeps and
other specialty plays for head coach Frank Reich.
It may take Campbell time to get acclimated to the speed of the
NFL and the complexity of the Colts offense. To start the season
he projects to be behind veteran Devin Funchess and possibly Chester
Rogers and Zach Pascal. For this reason, his value entering the
season lies more in dynasty formats than redraft. However, he
is a guy to watch and has the skill set to be a future star.
To the chagrin of millions of Lions fans around the world, former
first-round bust Eric Ebron exploded in his first season with
the Colts to the tune of 750 yards and 13 receiving touchdowns.
Ebron flashed the talent that made him a first-round pick in 2014,
with career highs in targets, receptions, receiving yards, and
of course, touchdowns.
Ebron made the most of Jack Doyle’s injury, thriving in
an offense that is designed to feature the tight end. Andrew Luck
loves throwing to the position, especially in the red zone, and
fantasy owners who took a flier on Ebron last year cashed in well.
Doyle’s return from injury will likely create a timeshare
between the two and negative touchdown regression is most certainly
in line for Ebron. However, should Doyle once again suffer an
injury, Ebron could once again be a double-digit touchdown threat
at a position void of many options after the big three of Kelce,
Ertz and Kittle.
Doyle missed most of the 2018 season with a hip subluxation and
then a kidney injury, opening the door for Eric Ebron to lead
the league in touchdown receptions at the tight end position.
Doyle appears to be on the mend and is working on getting his
playing weight back up to his normal level.
If on the field, Doyle will likely be used as the starter along
with Ebron, but Doyle’s inability to stay healthy makes
him somewhat of a question mark.
