NASHVILLE, Tenn. — After a seven-game absence, the Indianapolis Colts are jumping right back into divisional play.
The Colts tonight take on the Tennessee Titans in their AFC South Division showdown on Thursday Night Football, in what's sure to be one of the more entertaining matchups on the Week 10 NFL docket.
Indianapolis, of course, is coming off a disappointing 24-10 home loss to the Baltimore Ravens, in which the offense sputtered after a Jonathan Taylor fumble, the first of his career, was recovered and returned for a touchdown late in the first quarter.
But tonight's matchup against the Titans does present some possible defensive holes to exploit from a fantasy perspective.
So what should you expect from the Colts players on your fantasy rosters in Week 10? We've got you covered here.
(Weekly positional rankings from FantasyPros.com, based on Half-PPR scoring. Ranks as of Wednesday.)
QB Philip Rivers
» FantasyPros Week 10 Position Rank: QB23
» Titans vs. QBs: 19th (19.8 FPPG)
Rivers cooled down considerably on Sunday against the Ravens compared to his previous two outings against the Cincinnati Bengals and the Detroit Lions, against whom he threw for a combined 600 yards with six touchdowns to just one interception. But that Baltimore defense is one of the top units in the league for a reason; Tennessee, decidedly, is not one of the top defenses in the NFL through the first half of this season, though. Rivers could be a solid option for you at QB tonight. Rivers has a 7-4 all-time record in Thursday games, and averages a stat line of 21-for-32 (65.6 percent) for 255 yards with 1.4 touchdowns to 0.8 interceptions in those contests. You can bet he'll be geared up and ready to go tonight.
RBs Jonathan Taylor, Jordan Wilkins and Nyheim Hines
» FantasyPros Week 10 Position Rank: Taylor RB21, Wilkins RB34, Hines RB36
» Titans vs. RBs: Tied-25th (20.2 FPPG)
If you're worried about avoiding the Colts' running backs because you just don't know what you're going to get, that's understandable. But the Titans really haven't discriminated when it comes to allowing big fantasy performances to multiple running backs this season. Back in Week 2, the Jacksonville Jaguars' James Robinson (17 points) and Chris Thompson (8 points) each had nice days; same with Week 8 against the Cincinnati Bengals, when Giovani Bernard (19 points) and Samaje Perine (9 points) were able to share the wealth.
WRs Michael Pittman Jr., Zach Pascal, Marcus Johnson
» FantasyPros Week 10 Position Rank: Pittman Jr. WR53, Pascal WR60, JohnsonWR63
» Titans vs. WRs: 27th (28.3 FPPG)
The wildcard here is T.Y. Hilton and his availability after missing Sunday's loss to the Ravens with a groin injury. But the rookie Michael Pittman Jr. definitely had a nice outing Sunday in his second game back from returning from injured reserve, as he hauled in four receptions for 56 yards. Much like at running back, while there isn't much clarity which Colts receiver might have a big day, the Titans don't seem to mind allowing big performances to multiple receivers on a weekly basis. So don't kick yourself if you don't end up choosing one and they go off for 15 points.
TEs Trey Burton and Mo Alie-Cox
» FantasyPros Week 10 Position Rank: Burton TE15, Alie-Cox TE27
» Titans vs. TEs: Tied-22nd (9.0 FPPG)
With Jack Doyle (concussion) not able to play tonight, Trey Burton and Mo Alie-Cox could become even larger focal points of the offense — particularly on third down and in the red zone. The Titans have allowed double-digit scoring performances to tight ends four times already; the Houston Texans' Darren Fells had six receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown back in Week 6, for example. I'd seriously consider starting one of these two guys this week.
Colts Defense/Special Teams
» FantasyPros Week 10 Position Rank: DST11
» Titans vs. DSTs: 1st (2.5 FPPG)
The Colts' defense played lights out in the first half of Sunday's matchup against the Ravens, who own the league's top rushing attack. Indy also wasn't so bad in the second half, but with the offense unable to get much of anything going, the defense started to get worn down towards the end. The Colts will need a similar effort on defense in this one against the Titans and reigning NFL rushing champion Derrick Henry. Because quarterback Ryan Tannehill is so effective at the play-action passing game involving Henry and his young stable of receivers, which includes A.J. Brown, the Colts' defense might not seem like a good play. But they just keep on shutting down opposing offenses, so why not keep giving them a shot?
