T.Y. Hilton surprised the football world as a rookie from a small school this past season. His ability to immediately connect with fellow rookie Andrew Luck after Indianapolis traded into the third round of the 2012 NFL draft with the San Francisco 49ers was nothing less than amazing.
Let's take a look at what you can expect from Hilton as a sophomore and moving forward.
2012 Statistics | Rec | Yards | AVG | TD | WR Rank | PPG |
| 50 | 861 | 17.2 | 7 | 24th | 8.73 |
2013 Outlook
Whether Hilton plays in the slot or on the outside, he's going to be one of Luck's favorite targets in the passing game. The former third-round pick was targeted only 88 times (5.5 per game) last season, but did average about 10 yards per target. That represents much better numbers than the Colts No. 1 wide receiver Reggie Wayne.
Of Hilton's targets increase this upcoming season, there is no reason to believe he won't break the 1,000-yard plateau and challenge Wayne for the team lead in touchdown receptions.
The one issue as it relates to Hilton last season was drops. He dropped 10 of the 88 passes thrown in his direction, which represented one of the worst ratios in the entire National Football League. That needs to change if he is going to up his game from a fantasy standpoint.
Dynasty Outlook
With Wayne on his last legs and no other receiver capable of challenging Hilton for the No. 1 wide receiver role in the future, he promises to be one of the better under-the-radar dynasty options in fantasy football. While Darrius Heyward-Bey was a nice pick up in the offseason, he doesn't translate into being a true No.1-type receiver.
Indianapolis will continue to be a pass-first offense with Luck and quarterback, which also helps Hilton's fantasy value. The young receiver is destined to see his targets decrease each season for the next few years. Give him the 179 targets that Wayne received last season, and you are looking at someone primed to put up 1,500 yards and double-digit scores. Those are true WR1 numbers right there. Pick Hilton up as a solid FLEX player this season and watch him grow.
Projected 2013 Statistics: 70 receptions, 1,150 yards and 10 touchdowns