The Indianapolis Colts have an extremely crowded backfield and while they are loving the diverse talent they have in the room, it will likely spell trouble for fantasy football managers trying to sift through the mud.
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With second-round pick Jonathan Taylor and the former bellcow in Marlon Mack taking the early downs in a timeshare, Nyheim Hines likely won’t see a whole lot of work between the tackles. But where he will make his money is in the passing game.
>>>Marlon Mack stat projections<<<
>>>Jonathan Taylor stat projections<<<
The Colts have talked up Hines all offseason. The drumbeat is banging extremely loud for the third-year running back and with Philip Rivers bringing his love of pass-catching running backs to Indy, Hines could be in for a solid season.
Here’s a look at my early projections for Hines in 2020:
| Attempts | Yards | TDs | YPC | Targets | Rec. | Rec. Yds | TDs |
| 48 | 175 | 1 | 3.7 | 84 | 62 | 589 | 3 |
Targets: This will be the most important stat for Hines in 2020. My early projections have Hines holding a 15% target share in the offense. While that might seem a bit high, take account that Chargers running backs held an average of a 25% target share in the offense since 2015 with Rivers under center. Hines has seen the ninth-most targets among running backs (107) since entering the league in 2018. Given his abilities, Rivers’ love for targeting the position and the way the coaching staff has talked him up, 84 targets are certainly in the realm of possibilities.
Touchdowns: Hines won’t make much of an impact on the ground, especially now that Taylor has arrived. But he can still find his way into the end zone through the passing game. Hines had two receiving touchdowns in 2018 when he caught 63 passes. With a larger target share, those opportunities should go up to find the end zone.
Conclusion
Hines is an intriguing asset in fantasy football. He shouldn’t be viewed in the same light as Austin Ekeler or James White, but pass-catching running backs always have value. Hines will quickly become a favorite target of Rivers, and it should lead to fantasy relevancy. He might not be a league-winner, but he will have an impact.
Point Projections
PPR: 162.4
Half-PPR: 131.4
Non-PPR: 100.4
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