Indianapolis Colts Daily Fantasy Team Preview

Vegas Projected Win Total - 11

As indicated by the high win prop in Vegas, the Colts are once again expected to be a contender deep into January. Following their 3^rd consecutive 11-win regular season, the Colts defeated the Bengals (26-10) and Broncos (24-13) before being manhandled by the Patriots 45-7 in the AFC Championship game in 2014. Head Coach Chuck Pagano will look to lead his team to a 4^th consecutive 11 win season with the addition of future Hall-of Fame wide receiver Andre Johnson and veteran running back Frank Gore. The Colts also re-signed late season and playoff darling Daniel “Boom" Herron to a one-year deal this offseason. Vegas is expecting big things, and there is no reason to believe that this team can't approach or exceed last year's success.

Impact Fantasy Players

Andrew Luck – After leading the NFL in touchdown passes last season with 40, Luck also finished 3^rd in passing yards with 4,761, behind only Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger. In his young career, Luck's biggest weakness has been turnovers. After 19 total turnovers in his 2012 rookie campaign, Luck improved on that number with just 10 turnovers in 2013. Despite gaudy passing numbers last season, Luck's 20 total turnovers trailed only Philip Rivers (22) among all players.

While the turnovers are a major concern, Luck showed flashes of brilliance in his 2014 season. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Luck ranked as the 5^th-best QB in the NFL when facing pressure. He was pressured on 37.7% of dropbacks, which was the 10^th-highest in the league last season. Mostly due to his struggles with turnovers, Luck was 13^th in the NFL in QBR with a 63.8 rating (out of 100). Luck also ranked 7^th in the NFL in YPA (Yards per attempt), which is impressive considering his high volume of throws (616), which was the 3^rd highest in the NFL.

Luck emerged as an elite fantasy QB option last season, showcasing remarkable consistency throughout the season. Adding another top weapon in Andre Johnson will only help increase his output coming into the 2015 season.

T.Y. Hilton – One of the biggest breakouts in 2014 belonged to T.Y. Hilton. The FIU product had a huge season, producing 1,345 yards on 82 catches and 7 TD. Among players with at least 1,000 receiving yards last season, Hilton ranked 2^nd with 16.4 yards per catch. He converted 62 first downs in 2014, which was good for 7^th in the league. On the downside of things, he tied for the NFL lead among WR with 3 fumbles.

According to PFF, Hilton ranked 3^rd among slot receivers with 2.00 YPPR (Yards per route run), behind only Emmanuel Sanders and Randall Cobb. He is quickly emerging as one of the most explosive weapons in the NFL, and is poised to have yet another huge season in 2015

Impact Fantasy Rookies

Phillip Dorsett – While Hilton has shown his versatility as a slot receiver, Dorsett will likely see a lot of snaps in the slot in 2015. Coming off of an impressive Senior season with Miami (FL), where he caught 36 balls for 871 yards and 10 TD, Dorsett will fit right in with the Colts' pass-first offense in 2015. As mentioned earlier, Luck attempted the 3^rd-most passes in the NFL last season, and the additions of Dorsett and Johnson aren't likely to make that number decrease. Dorsett's blazing fast 40-yard dash time of 4.33 will be a welcome addition to a Colts offense that already features T.Y. Hilton and his 4.34 time. Expect Dorsett to become an integral part of the Colts offense sooner rather than later.

Storylines

The Colts' main weaknesses last year were turnovers (-5 was tied for 22^nd in the NFL) and lack of a consistent rushing attack, where they ranked 25^th in YPA (3.9) and 22^nd in YPG (100.8). The addition of Frank Gore (1,106 yards, 4.3 YPA in 2014) and extension of Herron, who emerged as a reliable option late in 2014 should see these numbers improve in a significant way in 2015. Adding multiple reliable offensive weapons should alleviate some pressure from their franchise QB, leaving him less prone to the plethora of unforced errors he committed in 2014. The Colts finished 3^rd in the NFL in 2014 with 6506 total offensive yards, and it wouldn't be surprising to see them better that number in 2015.

Stock Watch

– T.Y. Hilton

Hilton's emergence in 2014 looked like a sign of things to come. He is an electric weapon down the field, and showed upside as well, with 7 games of at least 100 receiving yards, including 3 with 150 or more. Andrew Luck relies on him to make big plays, and he was targeted 130 times during the 2014 regular season. Look for him to have a similar output in 2015.

– Daniel “Boom" Herron

Although Herron emerged late last season, including 298 total yards and 2 TD in the playoffs, the addition of Frank Gore will see his workload decrease right away. The Colts' offense runs through Andrew Luck and the passing game, and a running back by committee situation won't bode well for Herron's fantasy outlook this season.

Projections

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Daily Fantasy Outlook

The Colts' fantasy outlook is one of the brightest in the NFL. Led by signal-caller Andrew Luck, the 3^rd-ranked offense in 2014 is poised to have yet another impressive season. T.Y. Hilton emerged as one of the most electric wideouts in the game in 2014, and should have little trouble repeating his success as a speedy threat for Luck. Adding in veterans Andre Johnson and Frank Gore will help provide more stability for this young team in the upcoming season.

Coby Fleener is a solid DFS target at a TE position that is lacking in elite options. Gore and Herron will be splitting time, so unless one misses time for an injury, then there is little value to be had in the Colts backfield from a DFS perspective. Targeting the passing game is the way to go in your DFS contests, and Luck emerged as one of the top cash game options throughout the 2014 season.