INDIANAPOLIS — The hits keep on coming for the Indianapolis Colts' offense — and, I'm sure, for your fantasy lineups, as well.
In Week 1, the Colts lost starting running back Marlon Mack for the year with a ruptured Achilles. Then, last Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, wide receiver Parris Campbell went down with a knee injury that is expected to sideline him indefinitely.
The Colts certainly have talented options behind both Mack and Campbell. Rookie running back Jonathan Taylor earned his first-career start last Sunday against the Vikings, and turned in a 100-yard performance and scored his first-ever NFL touchdown. Campbell's role at slot receiver, meanwhile, is expected to be filled by several different Colts players moving forward.
What does it all mean for today's Week 3 matchup against the New York Jets? Well, simply put, if you have Colts players available — start 'em. And while Taylor is sure to have his share of carries once again today, Indy will also be looking to take advantage of a Jets secondary that has been ravaged by injuries.
So what should you expect from the Colts players on your fantasy rosters in Week 3? We've got you covered here.
Weekly positional rankings from FantasyPros.com, based on Half-PPR scoring. Ranks as of Friday morning of game week.
QB Philip Rivers
» FantasyPros Week 2 Position Rank: QB20
» Jets vs. QBs: 22nd (21.0 FPPG)
This is one where I'm more inclined to believe the projections aren't quite aligned with the expectations for today's game. Rivers is yet to have a huge performance through two games with the Colts, but it's not like he hasn't produced; he ranks third in the league in completion percentage (77.5), ninth in passing yards (577) and 10th in the all-important yards-per-attempt (8.1). Opposing quarterbacks are completing 75.3 percent of their passes against the Jets so far this season, and they're heading into this game with a ton of injuries in the secondary. While Rivers might be considered a decent QB2 option this week, I'm extremely confident about his chances in this one. Start the man.
RBs Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines
» FantasyPros Week 2 Position Rank: Taylor RB4, Hines RB38
» Jets vs. RBs: Tied-23rd (24.7 FPPG)
Last week head coach Frank Reich elected to attack the Vikings' defensive weakness — over and over again — by unleashing the rookie Taylor in his first-career start, as he had 26 carries for 101 yards and a touchdown. Reich also elected to mostly go with third running back Jordan Wilkins as the secondary back, as he ran the ball nine times for 40 yards. That left Hines with just one offensive touch all game — one reception for four yards. Do not expect that trend to continue; well, Taylor will continue to be the workhorse back — and, by all means, start him if you've got him — but Hines still remains one of the more viable flex options around, especially considering the void left by Campbell in the slot. While the Jets have been very solid against the run under defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, the 49ers were able to get huge runs in bunches last week, with 184 rushing yards on 27 carries, so while I expect a little bit more out of the Colts' passing game this week compared to last week, the running backs will still get more than their fair share of touches.
WRs T.Y. Hilton and Michael Pittman Jr.
» FantasyPros Week 2 Position Rank: Hilton WR22, Pittman Jr. WR56
» Jets vs. WRs: 15th (20.9 FPPG)
When Grandma gets involved, you know it's serious business. The veteran Hilton has struggled at a couple crucial junctures the first two weeks of the season — he had a couple big drops as the Colts tried to tie the game on their final drive Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and then couldn't hang on (thanks mostly to the sun) when he broke wide open over the top for a would-be long touchdown pass from Philip Rivers last week against the Minnesota Vikings — and on Monday, Hilton's grandmother, Pinkie, called from Florida to let him know she could tell he wasn't being himself of late. Hilton told reporters this week that's all the motivation he needs and that he's officially out of his funk. So what does that mean from a fantasy perspective? Start the man! One would imagine Rivers will be targeting Hilton early and often against this injury-deleted Jets secondary, which will feature multiple former Colts players with whom "The Ghost" is plenty familiar. Pittman Jr., meanwhile, is an interesting case on Sunday, as he saw his targets go way up with Campbell out last week (six targets, four receptions, 37 yards), and he could benefit even more this week from added attention to Taylor and Hines in the backfield, opening up those quick-hitter and intermediate routes even more.
TE Mo Alie-Cox and Jack Doyle
» FantasyPros Week 2 Position Rank: Alie-Cox TE18, Doyle TE56
» Jets vs. TEs: Tied-20th (10.1 FPPG)
We want Mo! After a career-best performance last Sunday in his first opportunity as the featured tight end, Mo Alie-Cox looks to continue his ascension today against a Jets defense that isn't the greatest at stopping playmaking tight ends. Alie-Cox had five receptions for 111 yards, averaging an insane 18.5 yards per target, last week against the Vikings, and should be a solid option in your lineup this week. The only question is Jack Doyle's availability. Doyle missed last week's game with knee and ankle injuries, and is questionable heading into this one; he's been the team's longtime starter at tight end for a reason, and if he's in there, Philip Rivers is going to be throwing his way, as well. But Alie-Cox's performance last week, one would imagine, certainly earned him a few more looks down the field moving forward, regardless.
Colts Defense/Special Teams
» FantasyPros Week 2 Position Rank: DST3
» Jets vs. DSTs: Tied-24th (9.5 FPPG)
Jets quarterback Sam Darnold had perhaps the best performance of his career against the Colts back in his rookie season in 2018, completing 24-of-30 passes for 280 yards with two touchdowns to one interception in the Jets' 42-34 shootout Week 6 win over the Colts at MetLife Stadium. But with injuries ravaging New York's offensive weapons, how much can Darnold shoulder on his own, especially from a fantasy perspective? For that reason, the Colts' defense is a must-start this week. Indy has the league's top-ranked defense in terms of yards allowed per game through the first two weeks of the season — they're also among the league leaders in sacks and interceptions — and that theme could very well continue today. Wide receivers Jamison Crowder (hamstring) and Breshad Perriman (ankle) have been out of practice, while running back Le'Veon Bell and rookie wide receiver Denzel Mims have been placed on IR with hamstring injuries. I don't see a repeat performance from Darnold against the Colts in this one.
