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Because the 2013 season was filled with impressive big name rookies, a handful of under-the-radar guys were often overlooked. One of those guys was Indianapolis Colts wide receiver, T.Y. Hilton.
Hilton was a very productive fantasy wide receiver for owners who grabbed him off of their league’s waiver wire. In 15 games played last season, Hilton caught 50 balls for 861 yards and seven scores. It was towards the second half of the season, however, where he really showcased his skills. Between weeks nine and 17, Hilton was a top-fifteen fantasy wideout, posting 10.9 fantasy points per contest. Sure, as a rookie, that’s incredible and we love it, but can we really expect the same in his sophomore year? I mean, a lot of Hilton’s big fantasy performances came off of big plays, and considering he only caught 50 balls on the year, if he doesn’t make that home run play, he isn’t nearly as valuable. I’m just not sold that Hilton can consistently play as an outside receiver, and with the Colts bringing in Darrius Heyward-Bey, we may never know. Reports out of camp are indicating that Heyward-Bey, not Hilton, has been starting on the outside opposite of Reggie Wayne. And while Hilton is more of a slot receiver anyway, that may not matter, but consider the following. New offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton is a West Coast guy. He also used to coach both Andrew Luck and Coby Fleener back in Stanford. With that being said, perhaps Hamilton will look to use both Fleener and athletic tight end Dwayne Allen in two-tight end sets, which means less on-field action for Hilton. Also, considering Hamilton isn’t expected to pick up where Bruce Arians left off in terms of a big play aerial attack, we may not see Hilton make as many big plays in his second season. In 2012, Luck led the league in the number of passes that traveled 20 yards or more, as well as aDOT (10.8). I expect more of an intermediate style of passing offense with less deep shots, which obviously hurts Hilton’s fantasy prospects.
Now I’m not saying Heyward-Bey is a stud because let’s face it, he’s not. The guy has done nothing to prove that he was deserving of seventh overall pick back in 2009. However, the Colts obviously likes what he brings to the table, which is enough to make he and Hilton split playing time this season. The big plays will be nearly impossible to predict, so why not pass on Hilton and wait to draft a very similar guy like Chris Givens, who is currently coming off of the board about five rounds later. I do like Hilton as a player. A guy with blazing 4.3 speed, but I see less opportunity for big plays, something that he was somewhat dependent on when it came to fantasy production a season ago.
Adam Pfeifer is a featured fantasy sports columnist for Rant Sports.
You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
