Colts RB Nyheim Hines (concussion) got in a limited practice on Wednesday. That means he's made progress through the protocol and has a chance to be cleared for Sunday's game vs. the Jaguars. We'll get another update on his status tomorrow.
Colts HC Frank Reich said after Thursday night's win over the Broncos that he's "optimistic" RB Jonathan Taylor (ankle) can return next week, per The Athletic's Zak Keefer. We'll keep an eye on Taylor's practice participation next week, as well as Nyheim Hines' after he sustained a concussion.
Colts RB Nyheim Hines sustained an apparent concussion on the 1st series of Thursday night's game vs. the Broncos. Hines stumbled as he tried to get off the field. So, after what happened recently with Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa, don't expect to see Hines back on the field tonight. That'll leave the Colts with RBs Phillip Lindsay and Deon Jackson.
Update: Hines has a concussion and is out for the rest of the game.
Colts RB Phillip Lindsay has been elevated from the practice squad. He'll join Nyheim Hines and Deon Jackson in Indianapolis' Jonathan Taylor-less backfield vs. the Broncos tonight. We're expecting Hines to take on an increased rushing role and dominate passing-down work. We'll see how the rest of the snaps and touches are divvied between Lindsay and Jackson, but neither guy is a viable fantasy play outside of 1-game DFS contests.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (ankle) has been ruled out for Thursday night's game vs. the Broncos. He was always a long shot to play on the short week. Taylor's injury reportedly isn't serious, so he should have a shot to return for Week 6. JT's absence in Denver will leave the Colts with RBs Nyheim Hines, Deon Jackson and Phillip Lindsay, who's expected to be elevated from the practice squad. When Taylor missed Week 12 of the 2020 season, Hines played 65% of the offensive snaps and handled 10 carries and 10 targets.
Colts HC Frank Reich said RB Phillip Lindsay "will work into the equation" if RB Jonathan Taylor (ankle) can't play vs. the Broncos on Thursday night. Lindsay has spent the first 4 weeks of the season on the practice squad but is Indy's most experienced ball-carrier behind Taylor. RB Nyheim Hines would still be the top Week 5 fantasy option if Taylor can't go, but don't expect Hines to get a huge workload.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that further testing on the injured ankle of Colts RB Jonathan Taylor came back negative and that Taylor "has a chance" to play Thursday night against the Broncos. We'll track his progress throughout the short week. Nyheim Hines obviously isn't a direct replacement for the much larger Taylor but would be our top fantasy bet in that backfield if Taylor misses the game.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor got his left ankle rolled up on during Sunday's loss to the Titans and "will have tests imminently to make sure there is no major damage," according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The schedule will do Taylor no favors, with the Colts taking on the Broncos on Thursday night. We'll update Taylor's status as soon as we know more. If he can't play vs. Denver, Indianapolis would be down to RBs Nyheim Hines, Deon Jackson and D'Vonte Price.
Update: The Colts "fear" a high-ankle sprain for Taylor, according to The Athletic's Zak Keefer.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor got 21 carries in Sunday's upset win over the Chiefs but turned that into just 71 yards. He added 3 catches for 20 yards among 5 targets, which tied Alec Pierce for 3rd on the team. RB Nyheim Hines ranked 2nd in targets -- trailing only WR Michael Pittman -- and secured 5 catches for 23 yards. Hines continued to see minimal rushing work, logging only 3 carries against K.C. Next up for Taylor is the Titans, who allowed him just 64 and 70 rushing yards in 2 meetings last season -- both Tennessee victories.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor carried just 9 times in Sunday's surprising 24-0 beatdown at the hands of the Jaguars. Taylor did manage 54 yards on those attempts, averaging 6.0 per run. He also led Nyheim Hines in routes for the 2nd straight game, though Hines closed that gap some and beat Taylor 5-1 in targets. Ultimately, it was a frustrating day for a player you probably expected to lead your Week 2 efforts. But there's no reason to worry about Taylor.
Colts QB Matt Ryan followed a shaky 1st outing with an even worse Week 2. He took 5 sacks and tossed 3 INTs in Sunday's 24-0 defeat at the hands of Jacksonville. Ryan completed just 16 of his 30 passes for only 195 yards. He was missing lead WR Michael Pittman and WR Alec Pierce against Jacksonville, which didn't help. WR Ashton Dulin led the team in targets (7), receptions (5) and receiving yards (79). Dezmon Patmon (6) and Nyheim Hines (5) were the only others to see more than 3 targets. Parris Campbell, meanwhile, drew just 2 looks and finished without a catch. He also doesn't need to remain on fantasy football rosters.
If HC Frank Reich was considering shaving any portion off RB Jonathan Taylor's role this season, then he totally forgot about it in Week 1. Taylor claimed 31 of Indianapolis' 34 RB rushes in the tie with Houston, as well as 7 targets. That tied for 2nd on the team and edged Nyheim Hines by 1. Taylor racked up 161 yards and a TD on the ground, adding 4 catches for 14 yards. Hines proved efficient as a receiver, catching all 6 of his targets for 50 yards to rank 2nd on the team in both categories. But he gained just 4 yards on 3 rushes and still played too small a role to be trustworthy in starting lineups for most fantasy football formats. Both players likely saw their Week 1 target counts inflated by QB Matt Ryan's 50 pass attempts.
There has been plenty of buzz about the Colts planning better production for RB Nyheim Hines this season. One key factor in making that happen should be his usage in WR spots. Here's what OC Marcus Brady had to say back ahead of training camp, according to SI.com's Horseshoe Huddle: "We can put Nyheim in the slot and run routes. He runs routes like receivers well. We're going to spread him out. ... Nyheim's ability to play both [RB and WR] essentially allows us to be a little more creative." Hines hit career lows in targets, receptions and yards last season, despite the extra game. His route rate also dipped to a career low, according to Pro Football Focus, with a career-high percentage of his time spent pass-blocking. But the Colts also jumped Hines' time in the slot to a carer-high 23.2% from a previous high of 11.8% (and just 8.9% in 2020). In total, Hines lined up at WR on 36.7% of snaps, vs. a previous high of 25.9% in 2019. It's clear that coaches are expecting QB Matt Ryan to leverage Hines' receiving skills more than Carson Wentz did. The WR usage explains how Hines can get a boost without hurting Jonathan Taylor's opportunity.
The Athletic's Zak Keefer expects RB Nyheim Hines to be used "substantially more" this year than last. "It’s been obvious from the install days over the past week how much usage he’ll get, both with Jonathan Taylor on the field and off it," Keefer adds. "Hines has been heavily involved in the run and pass games." We don't expect Hines to steal much, if any, rushing work from Taylor. But his role should rebound in the passing game after he averaged a career low 2.4 catches and 18.2 receiving yards per game last year. Consider Hines a nice RB4 target in PPR drafts.
Colts QB Matt Ryan impressed coaches, teammates and the media with his play and leadership this offseason. “Matt was unbelievable,” HC Frank Reich said. “Really, A-Z, he did everything right. Just great leadership, great play. I mean, the whole way he took command … I knew he was good, but his accuracy is insane." OC Marcus Brady said Ryan is "damn near a coach on the field." And rookie WR Alec Pierce said, "He could basically run this offense and this team by himself." We'd expect the 14-year veteran to impress in the intangibles department. But, by all accounts, Ryan's arm strength and accuracy were excellent over the past few months. He's still not an exciting fantasy asset in a run-first offense and without rushing upside. But Ryan's arrival could be a boost for the Colts' skill-position players.
According to The Athletic's Zak Keefer, Colts HC Frank Reich said from the NFL owners' meetings that he expects a "MUCH bigger role" for RB Nyheim Hines this season with QB Matt Ryan. Hines saw a career-low 3.4 targets per game with Carson Wentz under center last year. Wentz has historically targeted his RBs at a below-average rate. Reich expects Hines' role to be akin to what he did with QB Philip Rivers back in 2020, when he averaged 4.8 targets per game. Hitting that number might be tough behind RB Jonathan Taylor, although the Colts are currently thin at WR. Hines is still just a later-round pick in early PPR best-ball drafts right now.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor left in the 2nd quarter of Thursday night's game against the Jets with a knee injury. Indianapolis reached halftime with a 28-10 lead, so we wouldn't be surprised if the team shuts Taylor down for the night -- even if the injury isn't serious. We'll keep an eye on the situation either way.
Update: Taylor took the field to open the 2nd half.
The Colts have had “multiple conversations of late” with reps for RB Nyheim Hines, per The Athletic. The 24-year-old is entering a contract season. He’s yet to miss a game as a pro, and it sounds like he wants to continue that trend as a Colt. “I hope to be the Darren Sproles of Indy,” Hines said via The Athletic. “The Nyheim Hines of Indy. I’m really driven to leave a legacy. That’s something I think about every day.” Our current projections have Hines for only 73 carries, but his reception upside puts him in the PPR flex conversation.
ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports that Colts QB Carson Wentz (foot) is "trending" toward being ready for the start of the season. That jibes with recent positive reports on Wentz's recovery from August 2 surgery. We're still 32 days away from the Colts' season opener, so we'll continue to monitor Wentz's progress. Mortensen adds that G Quenton Nelson (foot) is also on track to be ready for Week 1. Excellent news for the entire Colts offense.
Colts HC Frank Reich said Tuesday that G Quenton Nelson has the same foot injury as QB Carson Wentz, according to multiple reports. He's having surgery immediately and faces the same return window (5-12 weeks) as Wentz. That's bad news for Jonathan Taylor and everyone else who lines up in the Indy backfield. We'll see exactly how long Nelson (and Wentz) remains out.
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