2016 Fantasy Football Team Preview: Indianapolis Colts

 

2015 Fantasy Recap

The colts had a very rough year, plagued by injuries.  Most notably, QB Andrew Luck.  The Colts failed to make it to the first time since the arrival of Luck as well as falling to a record of 8-8 after three seasons of going 11-5.  Backup QB Matt Hasselbeck did his best during filling in, becoming responsible for 5 of the 8 wins.  The run game was led by RB Frank Gore, who was consistent, but could never break out.  With an often hurt and a backup QB, the passing game suffered.  Wide Receivers TY Hilton and Donte Moncrief did their best to help.  The defense often put the Colts behind, causing the offense to play catch up.

Key Additions and Losses

Additions:

• Robert Turbin
• Ryan Kelly

Losses:

• Dwight Lowery
• Matt Hasselbeck

QuarterBack Fantasy Outlook

QB Andrew Luck played horrible last year, even before he was injured.  He missed his first 2 games of his career during week 4 and 5 due to a shoulder injury.  On Nov 10th, he was ruled out due to a lacerated kidney and was only supposed to be out 2-6 weeks.  However, his timeline to heal didn’t match up, and he missed the remainder of the season.  He put up 1881 yards and 15 TD’s.  However, he threw a total of 12 interceptions.  The Colts have moved on from backup QB Hasselbeck who retired after filling in for an injured Luck as well as he could.  Luck signed a long-term deal, making him the highest paid QB in NFL history, keeping him with the Colts until 2022.  Luck has to work on keeping healthy, and avoiding hits while on the move.  If he can master the slide, and avoid the beating, Luck should prove to be a top 5 QB.

 

Grade: A

 Running Back Fantasy Outlook

RB Frank Gore came to the Colts as the lead running back.  He did not make the 1st impression many were hoping for.  Gore failed to break the 1000 yard mark for the 1st time in 5 years.  He also had his lowest average yards per game of his career at 3.7 yards.  He also had 2 fumbles.  Despite this, he put up 6 rushing TD’s.  Gore also helped out in the passing game as well, putting up 267 yards and an extra TD.  The talent is clearly there, and with a healthy Luck providing a passing threat, Gore should be able to get back to form.  The next running back is RB Robert Turbin.  He spent some time with the Seahawks before being traded to the cowboys and in the same season the browns.  He has raw talent, but it’s never been able to fully show on the field.  Learning from veteran Gore will be a good thing and might set Turbin up as the future runner for the Colts.

 

Grade:  B-

Wide Receiver Fantasy Outlook

Despite changing QBs, Hilton still had a productive year.  Perhaps one of the most productive of anyone on the team.  He received 69 catches for a total of 1124 yards, with 5 TD’s.  He proved to be a leader on and off the field and was able to make the plays when he could.  On the other side, you had WR Moncrief who also received 64 times but only put in 733 yards.  He did manage to get 6 TD’s.  With a healthy QB Luck returning, I firmly expect Hilton to continue to be a top producing receiver.  Moncrief will always be the number 2 guy next to Hilton, but that isn’t always a bad thing, and can be a great pickup for a bye week.

 

 

 

Grade:  B+

Tight End Fantasy Outlook

The tight end didn’t factor much into the passing game last year, with TE Dwayne Allen being targeted only 29 times.  He put up 109 yards and 1 TD.  The Colts resigned Allen, so hopefully he will be more productive and used more often.  The Colts have brought TE Eric Swoop up from the practice squad.  He looked good in college and impressed head coach Pagano to be brought up.  He most likely won’t be a TE worth having in any format but is worth watching.  Until the Colts use the TE to catch the ball, I would stay far away.

 

 

 

 

Grade:  F

Defensive Fantasy Outlook

The Colts defense had some issues last year being consistent and putting the team in a huge deficit.  The Colts were ranked 20th last year in points allowed, and 28th in total yards allowed.  However, they did show greatness with 4 TDs coming from them.  They were lead by SS Mike Adams with 5 interceptions.  The team managed a total of 17 interceptions.  LB Jackson D’Qwell lead the team in tackles, for a combined of 150, with 3 sacks.  The team lost S Dwight Lowery, who had 76 tackles, 9 pass deflects and 4 interceptions.  The defense has to become more consistent and put the team in a position where Luck won’t need to carry the team.  They clearly have the talent, and just need to bring it all together for 16 games

 

 

Grade: C+

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