Indianapolis Colts vs. Oakland Raiders
The Raiders traveled to Indianapolis to face the Colts in what was supposed to be an easy game for the Colts. The Colts were missing T.Y. Hilton in this game so it was thought to be a tougher matchup for the Colts without their star receiver. The Raiders made just enough plays on offense and a few plays on defense to pull out a win on the road. For all of the fantasy implications from this game, let’s take a look at what we saw:
Indianapolis Colts
Quarterback
- Jacoby Brissett: 24/46, 265 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Jacoby Brissett didn’t necessarily look as off as his stat line may suggest. Without T.Y. Hilton today it was tough for receivers to get open, and when they did it was tough for them to catch the football. Brissett was able to battle through it and get 3 TDs and he continues to be a steady bye week fill-in quarterback or an emergency starter. Without Hilton, this offense used a lot of running backs and tight ends in this game which will hurt the ceiling for Brissett so let’s hope Hilton is back and healthy moving forward for this offense.
Running Backs
- Marlon Mack: 11 carries, 39 yards
- Jordan Wilkins: 4 carries, 17 yards | 1 target, 1 catch, 11 yards
- Nyheim Hines: 3 carries, 6 yards | 6 targets, 6 catches, 39 yards
Marlon Mack was not able to get anything going today as the Colts were behind for the most part in this game. Mack was able to break off a couple of longs runs but without the ability to control the game it made it hard for Mack to get anything going. Look for Mack to be an RB2 in most matchups but when they get behind it could be a rough outing for Mack. After watching this game it looks like Jordan Wilkins is the clear handcuff to Mack and Nyheim Hines is the passing down back. The problem with Hines is if Hilton plays he is mostly a non-factor. With Hilton out, he had 6 targets and caught them all and looked to be Brissett’s safety blanket and guy that he could trust with Hilton out and the rest of the receivers dropping balls all day long. Hines is worth a speculative add but he looks to be more of a bye week fill-in or deep league play.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
- Parris Campbell: 8 targets, 5 catches, 25 yards
- Jack Doyle: 8 targets, 4 catches, 22 yards, 1 TD
- Zach Pascal: 7 targets, 4 catches, 72 yards
- Chester Rogers: 6 targets, 3 catches, 48 yards, 1 TD
- Eric Ebron: 5 targets, 1 catches, 48 yards, 1 TD
What an ugly day for the receivers and tight ends on the Colts. Without Hilton, this was a great opportunity for someone to break away as a new target for the Colts but that did not happen. Eric Ebron had arguably the worst day of them all by dropping 4 of his 5 targets before bailing everyone out with a 48-yard touchdown on their last drive. Jack Doyle also looked to be Brissett’s safety blanket hauling in a couple of throws while Brissett was scrambling for his life, including his TD. Parris Campbell was one of the receivers that were hoping for a breakout with Hilton sidelined but he squandered his opportunity with only 5 catches for 25 yards and also fumbled in this game. He looked to be the best of the bunch and definitely the most explosive out of him, Zach Pascal, and Chester Rogers. Hopefully, Hilton is back next week versus the Chiefs so we don’t have to decide between Rogers and Pascal at our flex.
Oakland Raiders
Quarterback
- Derek Carr: 21/31, 189 yards, 2 TDs
As a Raiders fan, I am very concerned about Derek Carr. He is obviously not the answer for the Raiders going into next year and beyond. Once he is under pressure he is frazzled and does not know what to do with the ball. For fantasy, this means that Carr’s upside is capped which we already knew but he should be competent enough to continue to make Tyrell Williams and Darren Waller strong plays at their position but this offense is not one that will create opportunities for newcomers or unknowns. This will be a two-horse race in the passing game all season long as Carr is not able to involve anyone else in the offense enough for them to be relevant. If you own Carr as your QB2 I would be worried and would look to upgrade the position.
Running Backs
- Josh Jacobs: 17 carries, 79 yards | 2 targets, 2 catches, 29 yards
- Jalen Richard: 4 carries, 17 yards | 1 target, 1 catch, 1 yard
- DeAndre Washington: 6 carries, 18 yards | 3 targets, 2 catches, 8 yards
This is another disturbing development as Josh Jacobs was spelled in this game a lot by Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington. Coming into last week, Jacobs had not practiced at all due to an illness and even lost 10 pounds but still was active for the game. In that game, I expected the Raiders to spell Jacobs and split up the work with him, Richard, and Washington. But in this game? Not at all. Jacobs was continuously splitting work with Richard and Washington as early as the first quarter. Jacobs also looked dynamic again in the passing game but only received two targets. I am worried about Jacobs moving forward because although his stat line looked good, it was mostly to close out the game. The offense isn’t creative enough to use him to the best of his abilities which relegates him to an RB2. Along with the split usage, I would be looking to sell Jacobs, unfortunately.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
- Darren Waller: 8 targets, 7 catches, 53 yards
- Tyrell Williams: 7 targets, 3 catches, 36 yards, 1 TD
- Foster Moreau: 3 targets, 3 catches, 30 yards, 1 TD
- Hunter Renfrow: 3 targets, 2 catches, 18 yards
- Trevor Davis: 0 targets | 2 carries, 74 yards, 1 TD
Like I said in the Carr piece, this offense only has room for two pass catchers in Darren Waller and Tyrell Williams. Waller has become a TE1 and has lived up to the preseason hype with very consistent performances and looks to be a matchup nightmare week-in and week-out. It would be nice to see him score a touchdown soon! Williams has a TD every game so far this year and Carr missed him on an open slant for another TD in this game as well. He continues to be a safe WR3 with WR2 upside based on volume alone. Everyone else in this offense is un-ownable with limited upside based on offensive creativity and Carr at quarterback. Even though Foster Moreau and Trevor Davis scored in this game, they cannot be counted on in your fantasy lineups.
- Colin Weatherwax