Getty Indianapolis Colts WR T.Y. Hilton
The Indianapolis Colts are hopeful their top wide receiver T.Y. Hilton will be able to play in a crucial Week 15 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. As things currently stand, the Colts sit at 7-6 on the season and hold the No. 7 seed in a crowded AFC playoff picture. Although they are highly unlikely to catch the Houston Texans for the division, they’ll need Hilton for this postseason push.
Hilton is currently dealing with an ankle injury which he suffered in Week 14. Although he almost certainly won’t be 100 percent if active, the Colts need all the firepower they can get against a surging Cowboys team. Hilton sat out this entire week of practice and then received a questionable tag heading into the weekend.
We’re going to take a look at the latest on Hilton’s injury in terms of updates and also break down his fantasy football outlook for Week 15.
Latest on T.Y. Hilton’s Injury
Following the week of missed practices, the chances of Hilton suiting up seemed bleak. Colts head coach Frank Reich spoke about the receiver’s status on Friday, as Kevin Hickey of Colts Wire revealed.
“Yeah, I mean it is always case-by-case. Generally speaking, not practicing Friday would not be good, but it is later in the year. This is still up in the air,” head coach Frank Reich said Friday. “I mean it still is touch and go. We just got to see how he responds in the next 24 hours. We are just hoping for the best.”
Unfortunately, for those fantasy players and Colts fans hoping to get a late-night Adam Schefter tweet providing a positive update on Hilton’s status, that wasn’t the case. On the bright side, the ESPN analyst did reveal that Hilton’s ankle will be tested before the game to determine if he can play.
Colts’ WR T.Y. Hilton, listed as questionable for Sunday due to an ankle injury, will be tested pregame to determine whether he can play vs Cowboys, per source.
As ESPN’s Josina Anderson revealed roughly 90 minutes ahead of kickoff, the Colts have made Hilton active.
TY Hilton is ACTIVE. #Colts.
It’ll be a waiting game up until roughly an hour and a half or so before kickoff until we get the final word Sunday.
T.Y. Hilton Fantasy Start/Sit
This is an interesting situation from a fantasy perspective. Although the Cowboys have been exceptional against opposing wideouts, allowing 1,776 yards and 10 touchdowns all season, Hilton has been red-hot. If he were able to impress enough to suit up for this game, you’d be making a tough call leaving him on the bench.
Over the past four games, Hilton has topped 125 yards or more in three of them while catching at least seven passes in each. The lone game that the 29-year-old failed to hit the 100-yard mark came against the Jacksonville Jaguars when he caught eight passes for 77 yards. Essentially, he’s been productive regardless of the matchup recently.
Although this is a tough spot, if Hilton suits up you’d be wise to get him in lineups. There’s certainly risk involved, but unless you have a better and safer option, the Colts receiver has to remain in play with their playoff hopes hanging in the balance.
On the opposite side, if Hilton is unable to go, it would likely be Chester Rogers who sees a larger workload. Both Ryan Grant and Zach Pascal also get a bump and could be busy against the Dallas secondary. All three players made an impact at various points when Hilton missed time earlier in the season. To be safe, adding Rogers off waivers if you need a wideout prior to kickoff would be a wise move.
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