Getty Indianapolis Colts WR T.Y. Hilton
The Indianapolis Colts have made the call on wide receiver T.Y. Hilton’s status for Week 6 early. That’s both good and bad news for fantasy football owners. As ESPN’s Mike Wells revealed, the Colts have ruled Hilton out for the second consecutive game as he deals with a hamstring injury.
Following the news, Hilton fantasy owners are likely either jumping to the waiver wire or trying to figure out which wideout to start in his place. If looking specifically at the Colts as a potential replacement, one name certainly stands out above the rest.
We don’t have a huge sample size of work for the Indianapolis receivers without Hilton, but last week was certainly enough to help make a fantasy decision.
Which Colts WR Should Fantasy Owners Start for Hilton?
Although Chester Rogers didn’t get the most snaps for the Colts in Week 5, he saw plenty of work in place of Hilton. As Football Outsiders reveals, Rogers played 77 percent of the snaps, while Ryan Grant saw 82 percent and Zach Pascal 77 percent.
While the snap counts are important, they aren’t nearly as vital as the actual production and focus of quarterback Andrew Luck’s attention. Tight end Eric Ebron led the charge with nine catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns (if you own him, he’s likely a must-start), but Rogers saw an impressive 11 targets of his own.
When all was said and done, Rogers finished the game against the New England Patriots with eight grabs for 66 yards. Although Grant saw nine targets and caught six passes, his upside isn’t quite as high as Rogers’, and I think we could see the latter’s snaps increase as well.
Pascal struggled with drops at a few key moments, so envisioning his workload dropping somewhat in favor of Rogers wouldn’t be surprising. He also failed to haul in at least one touchdown, and in a 14-point loss, plays like that are memorable.
If picking specifically between Colts receivers, you want to own Rogers, and can even consider starting him. Indianapolis will square off with the New York Jets this week, who have allowed 82 receptions for 1,026 yards and five touchdowns on the year.
READ NEXT: Wendell Smallwood Fantasy: Should You Start or Sit the Eagles RB?