Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton has been one of the most underrated wide receivers since he entered the league as a third-round pick in 2012.
Only twice in his career since 2013 has Hilton failed to reach the 1,000-yard receiving mark. That came in 2017 and 2019 when Jacoby Brissett was the quarterback under center.
However, Philip Rivers is in town as the signal-caller and Pro Football Focus believes a return-to-form is in order for the Ghost. They are currently projecting Hilton to finish the 2020 campaign with 1,077 receiving yards.
Injuries stymied Hilton last season, as he limped to a 45-501 receiving line in 10 games. He wasn’t all that productive even when on the field, averaging only 1.82 yards per route run (31st). The big-play ability just wasn’t there for Hilton — he had 87 receiving yards in Week 1 but failed to top that mark in any game the rest of the season. Fantasy owners seem to have forgotten that Hilton was a monster as recently as 2018 when he averaged 2.54 yards per route run (fourth-most), and a return to stardom is certainly possible, especially with Philip Rivers likely to elevate his play. However, Hilton will be 31 years old in November — he ranks as the consensus WR26.
When Hilton has at least average quarterback play, he has proven he can be a beast. There are some situations even he can’t overcome and unfortunately, that happened twice with Brissett. But with Rivers now, Hilton can return to fantasy football glory as a strong asset to your lineup.
I am a bit more bullish on Hilton returning to form in 2020. My current projections have Hilton finishing with 1,115 receiving yards and is the WR23. He’s an insane value for a wide receiver with top-12 upside.
Though he’s dealt with injuries and while there is optimism about Rivers bouncing back, that still remains to be seen. But Hilton has a skill set very similar to Keenan Allen despite the size difference, and that will be the key to the former bouncing back in fantasy football.
Hilton is in a contract year and wants another deal with the Colts. He just might get it if he stays healthy and hits the projections that many have for him in 2020.