2022 Team Previews: Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis Colts Fantasy Preview 2022

All ADP data is courtesy of Fantasy Pros.

** = target in drafts at this ADP

Top 120

Jonathan Taylor, RB (ADP: 1): Taylor is the current No. 1 overall pick in fantasy for good reason. He was the RB1 last season and would’ve been the clear-cut fantasy MVP if not for Cooper Kupp’s Triple Crown campaign. There aren’t any holes in Taylor’s profile. He has tremendous volume (332 carries), he’s efficient (5.5 yards per carry), gets all the goal line work (18 rushing touchdowns) and he is an excellent receiver out of the backfield (40 receptions, two receiving touchdowns). Taylor is as complete a package as you’ll find, and while guys like Christian McCaffery or Alvin Kamara may have a slightly higher ceiling based on how much receiving volume they see, Taylor is a better bet for durability and touchdowns. You can’t be a value at No. 1 overall, but he’s a deserving top pick. 

Michael Pittman Jr,, WR (ADP: 36): The fantasy community is in on Pittman this year, calling for the third year breakout into WR1 territory based on this ADP. He’s the obvious alpha now, which there was some question about entering 2021 with T.Y. Hilton hanging around. Pittman’s 88 receptions, 1,082 yards and six touchdowns shut down those questions. Now, the question is will Matt Ryan’s arrival elevate him into a guy who is turning that volume into not just big yardage, but double-digit touchdowns. Touchdowns can be fickle, but jumping from one as a rookie to six in Year 2 is promising. This offense is not exactly teeming with threats to Pittman’s slice of the passing game pie, and he’s built for red zone looks at 6’4, 223 lbs. He’s an elite press coverage beater per Reception Perception, and zone beater, while posting a ridiculous 85% contested catch rate. His skills, plus his complete ownership of the WR1 role with an upgrade at QB make him a really tasty breakout candidate. This isn’t going to be the pass-happy Falcons where Matty Ice is throwing all day long, but Pittman is going to be efficient enough that he still breaks out.

Fantasy Relevant (121-200 ADP)

Nyheim Hines, RB (ADP: 128): Hines is a player I really liked last season, and his underwhelming final numbers – 586 yards from scrimmage, three total touchdowns – don’t paint a full picture of Hines the player. Hines once again was a well-graded player per PFF, with a Top 10 receiving grade at the RB position. He’s capable of huge plays, and if given opportunity, could be a startable RB2 based on his receiving ability alone. The issue is that Taylor is so dominant, it’s hard to find a suitable reason to get Hines on the field. He’s also not built to be a bell cow, so if Taylor gets hurt, Hines’ usage will rise, but he’ll still be in a committee. Due to this, I don’t love the ADP even though I love the talent. I simply don’t believe the ultimate upside is present for him to wind up being a major factor for fantasy teams.

Matt Ryan, QB (ADP: 176): Ryan isn’t a player I’m excited about as a fantasy QB, but I am excited about his effect on Colts’ skill players. Ryan had thrown for more than 4,000 yards – often WAY more than 4,000 yards – for 10 straight years before the 2021 Falcons’ receiving corps happened. Now, it’s possible that Ryan’s own ability is waning. He’s 37 years old and immobile, and now throwing to a stable of unfamiliar pass-catchers. He also has kept his yards per attempt steady, his completion rate up, and his mistakes at a minimum. He doesn’t run at all, so Ryan is not a viable option as a weekly fantasy QB. But he’s a smash DFS/waiver wire add in the right matchups, and he’ll improve the target quality for every Colts receiver.

Sleeper Class (200 & later)

Alec Pierce, WR (ADP: 214): Pierce doesn’t have a lot of buzz for a big play receiver who has a very plausible path to big playing time. He doesn’t have incredible college stats to brag about, but he broke out as a senior for Cincinnati and helped lead them to their first ever College Football Playoff. His 52 receptions won’t jump out at anyone, but he averaged 17 yards per catch and scored eight touchdowns for the Bearcats. He was a career 17.5 yards per catch guy, and at 6’3, 213 lbs. he projects as a contested catch beast when he’s downfield. Now, his game has a lot of room to grow. He was abysmal vs. zone coverage, grading in the 5th percentile per Reception Perception, and 22.7% of his routes where streaks. This tells me that Pierce is probably not a rookie breakout candidate, because his game is extremely boom or bust at this point. But he will have some smash games, and he’s worth keeping an eye on. 

Parris Campbell, WR (ADP: 267): Campbell is the biggest threat to Pierce, and is probably a better draft pick if he’s healthy come Draft Day. Problem is, Campbell is rarely healthy. Campbell entered the NFL as an elite athlete, but who knows how much of that remains after his myriad injuries. He’s never played in more than seven games, nor has he ever started more than three. Picking Campbell is a fool’s errand if you’re looking for a breakout high-end receiver. What he could be, however, is a bye-week FLEX type or emergency fill-in because when healthy, he’s sure to be schemed some plays to get the rock in his hands to do something exciting. Campbell’s floor is very low, but there’s a world where he has a Curtis Samuel-ish from 2020 year in him.

Mo Alie-Cox, TE (ADP: 304): Cox is comically big, and I badly want it to work out for him. He has had moments, what with his six touchdowns in the last two seasons, but he hasn’t been able to surpass 31 receptions in four seasons, nor has he even gotten to 400 yards. Unfortunately, he seems to be a massive red zone weapon who is completely touchdown dependent and also doesn’t score many touchdowns. Rough profile, and not one I’m interested in anymore.

Ashton Dulin, WR (ADP: N/A): Dulin is around, and much like Zach Pascal for years, he lurks as a guy who could work his way into the rotation when the inevitable Campbell injury occurs, or if Pierce is too one-dimensional to be relied on. Should he earn a big snap share, he’s still probably not an option for most players, but we like to go deep.