X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

2017 NFL Team Outlook - Indianapolis Colts

This article continues our team outlook series where we will break down each NFL team from a fantasy football perspective. We will cover the major changes on each roster from this off-season and project what the team will do in the upcoming year. Today we take a look at the Indianapolis Colts.

It wasn’t too long ago that the Indianapolis Colts appeared ready to make a Super Bowl run. With an incredibly talented young quarterback, a flurry of offensive weapons, and a decent supporting cast on defense, it seemed like only a matter of time before the team took the next step to play in professional football’s biggest game. Of course, the team has now missed the postseason in back-to-back years, struggling to live up to the hype while dealing with a number of significant holes on their roster. The Colts’ offense has produced several fantasy-relevant players in the past, but what should we expect heading into 2017?

Overall, there are more question marks than concrete projections for the upcoming Indianapolis Colts season, but there is definitely opportunity to derive some fantasy production from many of the players to be mentioned. Let’s take a look.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:

 

Offseason Moves

Key Offseason Additions: WR Kamar Aiken, RB Marlon Mack

Key Offseason Departures: TE Dwayne Allen, SS Mike Adams, MLB D’Qwell Jackson, OLB Robert Mathis, OL Joe Reitz

 

Quarterbacks

Whoever starts at quarterback for the Colts in 2017 will be the primary determinant of how fantasy-relevant this offense will be. The difference is literally night and day between the 4000-yard pedigree of Andrew Luck and former Green Bay Packer backup Scott Tolzien, with both drastically impacting the ceiling of every other player around them. Looking back to 2015 when Luck was injured for most of the season, the Colts’ offense ranked 28th in total yards, 22nd in passing yards, and 24th in scoring. Those numbers inspire little hope in a team that could very well be without Luck for a good chunk of season, considering that the Colts have opted to take things slowly with his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery. Luck’s numbers in 2016 weren’t nearly as good as his incredible 2014 campaign, but it is undebatable that he is a top-5 fantasy quarterback when healthy and should be valued as such if he can make it on the field for over 12 games in 2017. Unfortunately, the high risk/high reward chance you have to take to get him is not worth the draft capital of a pick before round seven. Tolzien, on the other hand, is simply undraftable.

 

Running Backs

Frank Gore, who turned 34 this last May, has continued to grind out yardage and show that he is an all-purpose back despite being in the twilight of his career. As long as he is fully healthy and performing at a high level, Gore will have a firm grip on the starting job in 2017. Despite having a good chance to shoulder a majority of the rushing workload, his elusiveness and burst have largely diminished, limiting his upside. The Colts are clearly aware of that fact after selecting fourth round speedster Marlon Mack in the 2017 NFL Draft. With a curious combination of power and agility, Mack figures to get receive a few carries himself even if Gore remains upright. Spell-back Robert Turbin also figures to be a part of the offense, scoring eight all-purpose touchdowns last season as an exceptional complimentary player in short yardage situations. Trust in Gore to hold on to lead back duties when healthy, as he will likely be heavily relied upon in the event that Andrew Luck doesn’t start under center. Turbin and Mack make for interesting late round selections, as they both have been performing quite well in training camp. However, Mack is the handcuff to own as a guy who could explode onto the scene if Gore were to miss time.

 

Wide Receivers

The Colts definitely aren’t short of playmakers at the wide receiver position. T.Y. Hilton enjoyed the best season of his career in 2017, ranking first in the NFL in receiving yards and 20-plus yard receiving plays, and remains one of the key offensive weapons to own. The big-bodied Donte Moncrief should be more involved in the passing attack after missing seven games last season, should he manage to keep himself on the field. He’s a trendy breakout pick in many fantasy circles as one of the team’s most dominant red-zone threats. After that, it becomes difficult to buy in to any of the other wide receivers who have thus far been unremarkable in training camp. Chester Rogers, Phillip Dorsett, and Kamar Aiken don’t have any standalone value without injury to Hilton or Moncrief, meaning it’s best to focus your attention on selecting one of those two than wait to get a Colts’ wide receiver in the later rounds of fantasy drafts.

 

Tight Ends

Jack Doyle is the unquestioned no. 1 tight end in Indianapolis and could make for a solid starting option for owners looking to sit on drafting a tight end until after the opening five rounds. He proved to be an exceptional security blanket in 2016 and delivered as both a receiver and blocker, meaning he will undoubtedly be on the field for the majority of the team's offensive snaps. Backup Erik Swoope offers a much different skill-set, having managed an eye-popping 19.8 yards per reception last season as a dynamic and athletic receiving threat. Despite the success as a receiver, Swoope shouldn’t be drafted in most league formats and should instead be a hot waiver wire add if Doyle goes down.

 

Kicker

Adam Vinatieri is a consensus top-10 kicker… when Andrew Luck leads the offense. See the quarterback section of this outlook for evidence of the immense dip in production from the offense as a whole when he isn’t on the field. Clearly, a kicker’s fantasy value is dependent on scoring opportunity, and a Tolzien-led offense will do no such favors in that department. Despite no concerns from Vinatieri physically, he might have less of an opportunity to deliver fantasy points based on how inept the Colts’ offense could be.

 

Defense/Special Teams

New general manager Chris Ballard took an extremely aggressive approach to reforming the defense in free agency and the NFL Draft, bringing in several pieces to try and bolster a defensive unit that has finished 20th or worse in the last four seasons. These additions included defensive linemen Johnathan Hankins, Margus Hunt, and Al Woods, as well as linebackers Jabaal Sheard, John Simon, Sean Spence, and Barkevious Mingo. Short of a miraculous turn-around, the Colts defense will likely finish similar to previous seasons in terms of total defense this upcoming season as a group of players still trying to meld. They deserve to go undrafted as a bottom-5 fantasy defense that could serve as a rarely useable stream option at best.

 

Fantasy Outlook

A team in the Indianapolis Colts that was once a fantasy goldmine has unfortunately flipped the script and become one of the most ambiguous. Fantasy owners are in large part being forced to draft in the dark when it comes to ‘what could be’ in the Colts’ offense, with Andrew Luck’s timetable to return a tightly kept secret. Every single player on the offense will take a hit when Scott Tolzien has a hold on the starting quarterback job, especially the second round-priced T.Y. Hilton. For those who can be patient and wait for more information before drafting, it is paramount to monitor Luck’s status heading into 2017. Otherwise, you could end up with some tough roster decisions when the offense sputters out. At present, it’s difficult to hold a whole lot of optimism for the team as they appear to be stuck in a middle ground between rebuilding and contending. However, the fantasy football production of their star players when healthy is simply unquestionable.

 

More 2017 Team Outlooks




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Kevin Huerter19 mins ago

Out Versus Toronto
Stephen Curry47 mins ago

Spotted At Shootaround
Lauri Markkanen59 mins ago

Out Again On Saturday
Puka Nacua1 hour ago

Expected To Play
JuJu Smith-Schuster1 hour ago

Juju Smith-Schuster Ruled Out For Week 9
Bryce Young1 hour ago

Panthers Not Considering Moving Bryce Young
Cooper Kupp2 hours ago

Rams Not Expected To Move Cooper Kupp
Davante Adams2 hours ago

Jets Not Expected To Move Garrett Wilson, Davante Adams
Drake Maye2 hours ago

Clears Concussion Protocol, Will Play In Week 9
Robbie Ray2 hours ago

Doesn't Opt Out Of Contract, Stays With Giants
Tee Higgins2 hours ago

Bengals Not Looking To Trade Tee Higgins
2 hours ago

Yankees Could Make Play For Pete Alonso This Offseason
Jaylen Brown2 hours ago

Won't Play On Saturday Night
Sean Manaea2 hours ago

Opts Out Of Contract, Becomes Free Agent
Cody Bellinger3 hours ago

Picks Up $27.5 Million Player Option With Cubs
Gerrit Cole3 hours ago

Opts Out Of Contract With Yankees
Rhys Hoskins5 hours ago

Staying In Milwaukee
6 hours ago

Seattle Declines Club Option On Jorge Polanco
Luke Weaver6 hours ago

Returning To New York
Josh Downs6 hours ago

Cleared To Play In Week 9
Eugenio Suárez6 hours ago

Arizona Picks Up Club Option On Eugenio Suarez
Michael Pittman Jr.6 hours ago

Will Play In Week 9
DK Metcalf6 hours ago

Has Strong Chance To Return In Week 11
Nikolaj Ehlers8 hours ago

Totals Four Points Versus Blue Jackets
Igor Shesterkin8 hours ago

Stops 40 Shots Versus Senators
Aleksander Barkov8 hours ago

Amasses Four Points In Finland
Dan Vladar8 hours ago

Shuts Out Devils Friday Night
Adam Pelech8 hours ago

Makes Early Exit Versus Sabres
Mike Reilly8 hours ago

Exits Friday's Action With Injury
NHL8 hours ago

Nathan Bastian Suffers Jaw Injury On Friday
Jordan Clarkson16 hours ago

Out At Least A Week
Kyle Kuzma16 hours ago

Out Again On Saturday
Jamal Murray16 hours ago

Won't Return On Friday Night
Giannis Antetokounmpo16 hours ago

Anticipated To Play Versus Cleveland
Puka Nacua17 hours ago

Has A Shot To Play In Week 9
Jordan Love18 hours ago

Tracking To Play In Week 9
Stephen Curry20 hours ago

Unavailable Saturday
Yves Missi21 hours ago

Expected To Take The Court Friday
Karl-Anthony Towns21 hours ago

Available On Friday
Eric Comrie21 hours ago

Faces Blue Jackets Friday
Daniel Theis21 hours ago

Likely To Suit Up Friday
David Savard21 hours ago

Sits Out Practice For Maintenance Purposes
De'Anthony Melton21 hours ago

Unavailable Saturday
Jordan Hawkins21 hours ago

Expected To Play Friday
Alexander Romanov21 hours ago

Ready To Play Friday
Al Horford21 hours ago

Resting Against Charlotte
Evgeni Malkin21 hours ago

Takes Maintenance Day On Friday
Andrew Wiggins21 hours ago

Probable For Saturday's Matchup With Houston
Rose Namajunas21 hours ago

An Underdog At UFC Edmonton
D'Angelo Russell21 hours ago

Will Suit Up Versus Toronto
Devon Levi21 hours ago

Returns To Sabres Crease
Clayton Kershaw21 hours ago

To Undergo Two Surgeries
Anthony Davis21 hours ago

Available Against Toronto
Erin Blanchfield21 hours ago

Returns At UFC Edmonton
Brandon Lowe21 hours ago

Rays Pick Up Club Option On Brandon Lowe
Ryan Hartman21 hours ago

Rejoins Wild Lineup Friday
Zach LaVine21 hours ago

Will Play Against Brooklyn
21 hours ago

Nick Martinez Headed To Free Agency
Erik Cernak21 hours ago

Available On Friday
Marc-Andre Barriault21 hours ago

Dustin Stoltzfus Set To Face Marc-Andre Barriault At UFC Edmonton
Brent Suter21 hours ago

Inks Extension With Cincinnati
Immanuel Quickley21 hours ago

Out Again On Friday Night
CJ McCollum22 hours ago

Out At Least Two Weeks
22 hours ago

Yankees, Mets Among Teams In Battle For Juan Soto
Marc-Andre Barriault22 hours ago

A Favorite At UFC Edmonton
Blake Snell22 hours ago

Opts Out Of Deal With San Francisco
Josh Jacobs22 hours ago

Questionable For Sunday
Drake Maye23 hours ago

Questionable For Week 9
Tyler Boyd23 hours ago

Tony Pollard, Tyler Boyd Listed As Questionable
Tyjae Spears23 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 9
Calvin Ridley23 hours ago

Off The Injury Report
Trevin Giles23 hours ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Noah Fant23 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 9
Brian Robinson Jr.23 hours ago

Questionable For Week 9
Mike Malott23 hours ago

Opens Up UFC Edmonton Main Card
Dallas Goedert23 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 9
DK Metcalf23 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 9
Zach Benson24 hours ago

Could Play Next Week
Jani Hakanpaa24 hours ago

And Connor Dewar Sent On Conditioning Stint
Dmitri Voronkov24 hours ago

Ready For Season Debut Friday
Mathew Barzal24 hours ago

Getting Tests Done For Upper-Body Injury
Vladimir Tarasenko1 day ago

Ready To Go For Saturday
Mark Stone1 day ago

Misses Practice Due To Birth Of Child
Tomás Nosek1 day ago

Tomas Nosek Ready For Panthers Debut On Friday
1 day ago

Royals Decline Option On Adam Frazier
1 day ago

Manuel Margot, Kyle Farmer Headed To Free Agency
1 day ago

Milwaukee Declines Option On Wade Miley
Lucas Giolito1 day ago

Staying In Boston
Chris Stratton1 day ago

Hunter Renfroe, Chris Stratton Returning To Kansas City
Jordan Montgomery1 day ago

Staying In Arizona
Brendson Ribeiro2 days ago

Searching For 1st UFC Win At UFC Edmonton
Caio Machado2 days ago

Drops Down To Light Heavyweight At UFC Edmonton
Jhonata Diniz2 days ago

Gets Big Step-Up At UFC Edmonton
Derrick Lewis2 days ago

Faces An Unranked Heavyweight At UFC Edmonton
Amir Albazi2 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Edmonton
Brandon Moreno2 days ago

Ends Layoff At UFC Edmonton
Chase Elliott5 days ago

Comes Up Short at Homestead
William Byron5 days ago

Rallies to Sixth at Homestead
Kyle Larson5 days ago

Tire Issue at Homestead Could Doom Kyle Larson's Championship Hopes
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

Charges To A Thrilling Victory At Homestead
Ryan Blaney5 days ago

Loses At Homestead On The Final Corner To Tyler Reddick
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Quietly Nabs A Top-5 Finish At Homestead
Khamzat Chimaev5 days ago

Remains Undefeated
Robert Whittaker5 days ago

Gets Submitted At UFC 308
Aleksandar Rakic5 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 308
Armen Petrosyan5 days ago

Knocked Out At UFC 308
Shara Magomedov5 days ago

Gets Highlight-Reel Knockout Win At UFC 308
Joey Logano5 days ago

Intentionally Sleepwalked Through Homestead to Focus on Phoenix
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Advances to Championship 4 as Owner but Not as Driver
Dan Ige6 days ago

Loses Second-Straight Fight At UFC 308
Lerone Murphy6 days ago

Remains Undefeated At UFC 308
Magomed Ankalaev6 days ago

Wins Lackluster Decision Win At UFC 308
Max Holloway6 days ago

Gets Knocked Out For First Time At UFC 308

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Keon Coleman - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Key Starters and Tough Calls - Week 9 Lineup Spotlights for Fantasy Football Include Ladd McConkey, Keon Coleman, Joe Flacco

Scott Engel’s Lineup Spotlights are an essential weekly feature on RotoBaller.com for the 2024 fantasy football season. Every week, he focuses on players to choose as starting options when you are dealing with tight lineup decisions. The lineup picks included in this rundown are based on Scott’s Premium Weekly Lineup Rankings, available as part of the RotoBaller […]


Ladd McConkey - Fantasy Football Rankings, Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Wide Receiver Matchups to Target in Week 9 - Terry McLaurin, Chris Olave, Ladd McConkey, Jakobi Meyers

Welcome to WR Matchups to Target for Week 9. Last week’s picks yielded one “in the money” pick (3x multiplier on DraftKings salary) in Keon Coleman, giving us 11 such picks over the first eight weeks of the season. Each week, we will use matchup data from PFF to determine which wide receivers to target […]


Brian Thomas Jr - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Who Should I Start? Sunday Fantasy Football Lineup Decisions for Week 9 (2024) - Diontae Johnson, Keon Coleman, Jalen Tolbert, Brian Thomas, Jakobi Myers, Brian Robinson, Keenan Allen, Tee Higgins, Bo Nix

It's almost time for Sunday football. Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Sunday football and Week 9 of the 2024 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell […]


Bryce Young - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

High-Upside Bench Stashes: Weekend Waiver Wire Adds for Week 9 Includes Jalen Coker, Troy Franklin, Jaylen Wright, Erick All Jr., Kimani Vidal, Blake Corum

Mastering the waiver wire is a crucial skill that can lead you to a fantasy football championship. It's not just about strategically placing your FAAB budget on specific players but also about knowing when to stash players. This dual strategy keeps you engaged and focused on your ultimate goal of winning a fantasy championship. As […]


Video: Week 9 Booms, Sleepers, and Streamers - 2024 Fantasy Football Start 'Em Analysis

Let's go, RotoBallers! We are back and dropping fire content for the weekend ahead with our top Week 9 booms, sleepers, and streamers! NFL Network and RotoBaller contributor LaQuan Jones gives in-depth fantasy football advice, breaking down some of his high-upside, sleeper, and value plays as we head into Week 9 of the new fantasy […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Buy Low, Sell High Week 9 Fantasy Football Trade Value Recommendations - Josh Downs, Chris Olave, Cedric Tillman, more

Welcome to Week 9 of the NFL season! We’re deep into the grind where every decision counts more than ever. With injuries piling up and bye weeks affecting lineups, knowing when to buy low or sell high can be the key to revitalizing your team. Whether riding high after a win or looking to bounce […]


Jameis Winston - NFL DFS Picks, Waiver Wire, Fantasy Football Rankings

Week 9 Superflex 2QB Rankings for Fantasy Football: Updates for Jameis Winston, Joe Flacco, Matthew Stafford, Daniel Jones, Trevor Lawrence, Drake Maye

With quarterbacks beginning to get benched or banged up, some backup quarterbacks are entering lineups and have become viable in Superflex and two-QB leagues. Our Week 9 fantasy football Superflex rankings (2QB) for 2024 are here to help you close start-or-sit calls between comparable options. Below, you can see where RotoBaller has key Superflex options […]


Bucky Irving - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings (2024) - Week 9 Updates Include Rhamondre Stevenson, Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Bucky Irving

Incredibly, Week 9 has already kicked off, and Thursday's game is already in the books. It's time to start reviewing your dynasty leagues to decide whether to make a run for the championship or sell off for next year. There were some big trades in the NFL recently, with DeAndre Hopkins heading to Kansas City […]


Chris Olave - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 9 PPR Rankings for Fantasy Football: Overall Updates Include Marvin Harrison, Chris Olave, Amari Cooper, Jayden Reed, Rachaad White, Nick Chubb

The Week 9 slate brings a must-win situation to many fantasy managers, so it's time to lock in and set optimal fantasy football lineups. Below, you'll see our NFL team's updated Week 9 fantasy football PPR rankings for 2024. Let's see where key players like Cooper Kupp, T.J. Hockenson, Jaylen Waddle, Tank Bigsby, Jalen McMillan, […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 9 FLEX Rankings for Fantasy Football (RB, WR, TE) - Updates Include Jalen McMillan, Xavier Worthy, Calvin Ridley, Josh Downs, Kareem Hunt, DJ Moore

The fantasy football playoffs will be here before we know it, so if you need a few wins to secure your spot and are looking for lineup advice, you have come to the right place. We're here to help with our NFL team's updated Week 9 fantasy football FLEX rankings for 2024. Comparing two flex […]


Chase Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Week 9 Running Back Rankings for Fantasy Football: RB Updates Include Tank Bigsby, Chuba Hubbard, Tyrone Tracy, Chase Brown, Rico Dowdle, JK Dobbins

The running back position has seemingly been the most consistent in fantasy football this season, but things can change in a hurry, so it's important to set optimal lineups each week. Let's get to crucial start-or-sit decisions with help from our updated Week 9 fantasy football running back rankings for 2024. Where do key RBs […]


Cedric Tillman - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Week 9 Wide Receiver Rankings for Fantasy Football: WR Updates Include Cedric Tillman, Darnell Mooney, Khalil Shakir, Romeo Doubs, Jaylen Waddle, more

Ahead of the Week 9 NFL slate, the wide receiver position is the deepest in fantasy football, but that can lead to troubling start-or-sit decisions, especially when comparing two flex-level WR options. We're here to assist with our NFL team's updated Week 9 fantasy football wide receiver rankings for 2024. Let's dive into the rankings […]


Cole Kmet - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Week 9 Tight End Rankings for Fantasy Football: TE Updates Include Cade Otton, Cole Kmet, Kyle Pitts, Evan Engram, David Njoku, Tucker Kraft, Sam LaPorta

Tight ends showed out last week on National Tight End Day, so hopefully, the momentum continues for the tough position to analyze and navigate. Below, you'll see our NFL team's updated Week 9 fantasy football tight end rankings for 2024 to help you make tough start-or-sit decisions. Let's dig into the rankings to find out […]