The Indianapolis Colts have made some fabulous offseason moves that only make their offense stronger entering into the 2015 fantasy football season. Overall, the Colts scored the sixth-most points of all NFL teams last year. More offensive points equates to more fantasy points for those who draft Colts’ players to their teams.
Here’s a look at some of the key playmakers entering into the 2015 season.
Andrew Luck, Quarterback
It doesn’t get much better when it comes to fantasy quarterbacks. Luck ranked second last season in fantasy points and in passing yards with 4,761. Even better, Luck topped all quarterbacks in touchdowns with 40 in 2014. Unfortunately, where he fell short was his 16 interceptions. If he can get those under control this season, something surely he will be working to correct over the offseason, there’s no reason why he couldn’t top 5,000 passing yards and reign in another 40 touchdowns.
Loaded with an exceptional pool of receivers and pass-catching running backs, it would not be surprising to see Luck fall off of fantasy draft boards by the end of the second round.
T.Y. Hilton, Wide Receiver
Hilton has done nothing other than improve over his three seasons with the Colts. Ranking 12th in fantasy points last season, Hilton produced a career-high 1,345 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, making him a trusty high-end WR2 last season.
With wide receiver Andre Johnson coming aboard the team, Hilton’s numbers could possibly take a hit as the team didn’t sign Johnson just to sit around on the sidelines. However, with how much Luck throws the ball, there should be plenty of yards to go around making Hilton a solid WR2 entering into 2015.
Andre Johnson, Wide Receiver
Johnson finally joined the land of opportunity when he was signed on with the Colts last month. With more opportunity comes a better fantasy forecast for Johnson as well. Playing catch with Luck this year versus a batch of sub-par quarterbacks like Johnson had with the Texans, should see him improving from his 2014 41st ranking.
While Hilton receives double coverage, Johnson will be able to get open for some deep plays which will increase his touchdown potential for 2015. Definitely a more sound investment this season, Johnson should make for a serviceable WR2 looking ahead.
Frank Gore, Running Back
Gore, another casualty of the free agency, should not fare too badly from his switch of teams in 2015. If utilized to his full potential, Gore will not have a problem tallying upwards of or topping 1,000 rushing yards this season. Gore’s presence will also keep Luck from making costly turnovers as he’ll be less likely to be rushed into throwing the ball.
Providing the Colts with a very much-needed blocker and rusher, Gore should be an incredible asset to the team’s offense while serving as a solid RB2 with upside for our fantasy teams.
Dan Herron, Running Back
Herron, or “Boom” as he is more well-known, was just re-signed to the team. This means that the Colts must have been impressed with the sampling that Herron provided late last season when he inherited the team’s rushing duties. In the few games Herron started, he also showcased his pass-catching abilities totaling 21 catches for 173 yards.
Likely to be a change of pace back for Gore, and used in short yardage situations, Herron could tally up a half dozen or so touchdowns throughout the course of the season. Draft him as a lower-end flex or a handcuff to Gore.
Coby Fleener, Tight End
Fleener was one of Luck’s go-to guys in the red zone last year. Ranking sixth among his fellow tight ends in fantasy points, Fleener was an awesome fantasy option last season where he totaled 774 yards and scored eight touchdowns.
With Luck on track to potentially pass for 5,000 yards, Fleener will continue to see multiple targets per game making him a trustworthy TE2 to own in 2015.
Dwayne Allen, Tight End
The fact that the Colts have two tight ends who ranked in the top 13 last season proves there are plenty of yards to go around in Indianapolis. Allen would have likely ranked even higher if he had not missed three games due to injury. While Allen didn’t pile up a lot of receiving yards, when he did get a catch, however, he made it count as proven by his eight touchdowns from only 29 receptions. We could do worse than drafting Allen to our fantasy teams this season.
Up and Coming:
Donte Moncrief, Wide Receiver
The first-year wide receiver only had 32 catches last season, but he managed to score three touchdowns when he did get his hands on the ball. Additionally, he scored another touchdown in the Colts’ playoffs game last season along with totaling 86 yards from five receptions.
Moncrief will be one to monitor as he progresses with the team. Additionally, if injury were to strike Johnson or Hilton, we could see more action from the young receiver, making him a late-round stash for 2015.
Sleeper Alert:
Vincent Brown, Wide Receiver
When playing for the San Diego Chargers, Brown, incredibly speedy, was a favorite target of quarterback Philip Rivers, drawing a career-high 70 targets in 2013. Just signed by the Colts, there must be something that they envision in Brown by adding him to their already healthy pool of receiving talent. Draft him late with the hopes he might just surprise in 2015.