Getty Indianapolis Colts tight end Eric Ebron has strong fantasy football value in Week 3.
- Things got a bit interesting for fantasy football owners on Friday afternoon when the Indianapolis Colts’ injury report was released. Team owner Jim Irsay actually tweeted out which players will be out for the Colts in Week 3, and among them was tight end Jack Doyle.
The following are OUT for Sunday.
DT/DE Denico Autry
T Anthony Castonzo
TE Jack Doyle
RB Marlon Mack
DT Hassan Ridgeway
CB Quincy Wilson
While Doyle’s absence hurts the team, it’s also incredibly interesting for fantasy football players. Specifically, those owners who have Eric Ebron on their roster. While Ebron, who’s in his first season with the Colts, has had a strong start to the year, he could be in a great spot which fantasy owners need to target.
Eric Ebron’s Week 3 Fantasy Football Value
There’s no question that Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has kept an eye on the 25-year-old tight end over the first two games of the NFL season. To this point, Ebron has totaled seven catches for 77 yards and two touchdowns on nine targets.
Unfortunately, from a fantasy football perspective, he’s been saved by scoring a touchdown in each of the first two weeks. A large part of the issue with using Ebron in fantasy is the fact that Doyle is receiving quite a bit of work as well. Per Football Outsiders, Doyle has dominated the offensive snaps in comparison to Ebron, out-snapping him 77-37 in Week 1 and 59-16 in Week 2.
For those who drafted Ebron with hopes that his raw talent would help him receive more work than Doyle, unfortunately, he’s trending in the wrong direction. But while the two tight ends have posted similar numbers (Doyle has nine catches for 80 yards but no touchdowns), Week 3 may be a breakout spot for Ebron.
Is Ebron a Must-Start for Fantasy Owners?
If you’ve been on the fringe of playing him over the first two weeks (essentially, you don’t have a top tight end), then yes, Ebron should be in your fantasy lineups. The only reason I wouldn’t use him this week is if you have a top option already locked in and no flex spots on your starting roster.
As for the flex argument, he’ll certainly make for an intriguing option if you aren’t opposed to the two-tight end set and don’t have another stud to put there. The Colts draw a matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday, who have allowed six catches for 120 yards and one touchdown on nine targets.
The fact that the Eagles have allowed solid production to the position on the fifth-fewest targets is pretty eye-opening. If Luck and Ebron are on the same page, which they seem to be, this could be an excellent spot for the former Detroit Lions tight end. After averaging 4.5 targets per game over two weeks, Ebron could easily be looking at 6-8 targets or more in this matchup.
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