Summer Sleeper: Indianapolis Colts
We begin our annual 32-part Summer Sleeper series where DLF scribes identify a lightly-touted player on each NFL roster who may be worthy of your consideration. Our subjects all have varying levels of “sleeperness,” but each merits a bit of in-depth discussion here in the Premium Content section.
To help everybody along, we are going to be categorizing our sleepers under one of three headings:
- Super Deep Sleepers – Players who aren’t roster-worthy in 12-team leagues, but are still worth keeping an eye on.
- Deep Sleepers – An end of the roster player who is more often than not on the waiver wire in 12-team leagues.
- Sleeper – A likely rostered player who makes for a good trade target. Their startup ADP puts them out of the top-175 or so.
Because we aren’t going give you the likes of mainstream sleepers like Tyler Lockett or Carlos Hyde, most of these players will undoubtedly fizzle. All we are asking is for you to keep an open mind and perhaps be willing to make room for one of these players on your bench. You never know when the next Willie Snead is going to spring up. Feel free to add your own thoughts about our choice for the designated sleeper, or nominate one of your own in the comments below.
The Indianapolis Colts are coming off their worst season since 2011 (2-14) when Peyton Manning was out with injury and 2001 (6-10) Manning’s rookie season. The Colts did finish with a .500 record, and even though Andrew Luck was either injured or playing terribly, they finished the season on a high note with dual quarterbacks who they purchased off the street (Josh Freeman and Ryan Lindley). With Luck suffering the rest of the team faltered too, scoring only 32 touchdowns which was more than just five teams and down 19 from the previous season. Rob Chudzinski now can make this his offense and everything should be pointed north.
The Colts have holes where sleepers can emerge. Questions at tight end, wide receiver and running back can all give that unknown a chance to make a name for himself. Dwayne Allen has shown the tendency to get hurt, and with Coby Fleener moving to New Orleans that opens up this avenue. Last season, Andre Johnson was the number two receiver, but he has departed as well, leaving an opening for someone other than Donte Moncrief or Phillip Dorsett. With running back, Frank Gore is at the end of his career and there is little behind him to make a claim if he should wind down or get injured by the end of the season.
The main question to be answered is: where is the Indianapolis Colts depth when it comes to skill position players? And are they any good for my dynasty team?
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Josh Ferguson, RB
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Category: Sleeper
Josh Ferguson comes into Indianapolis as a rookie from Illinois. He is a shifty back with speed and a dual threat. The Colts are going to use him as a Darren Sproles type role, as he will get the dump off and go. He has the NFL IQ to play anywhere on the field. Head coach Chuck Pagano feels strongly about him as well – “He’s smart. He picks things up in a hurry. He’s very, very athletic. He’s a great receiver out of the backfield. We can split him wide, we can displace him formationally. He’s a mismatch out in space. He’s got juice. He can go. He’s got great vision.”
Most importantly, the Colts feel as though he can carve out a role for himself. Frank Gore is now 33 years old and has just a bare amount of thread on the tires, and both Robert Turbin and Jordan Todman have reached full potential. The downside is Ferguson’s frame (5-10” 200). He can move and juke anyone out of the way, but goes down too easy. He is made to be a PPR monster which is great, but not so much if your league follows standard rules. As for dynasty purposes he is a fringe player for developed leagues and a deep bargain for start-ups.
Quan Bray, WR
Category: Super Deep Sleeper
Quan Bray turned personal tragedy into a motivating force to achieve greatness. You may be unaware but his father Jeff Dewayne Jones killed his mother Tonya Bray by firing shots from a gun into her vehicle striking her dead. Her death is giving Bray strength to show he can overcome anything and could be in line for a lot more. He is in his second season as a return specialist for the Colts, and he is a good one. He averaged 27.1 yards per return which was sixth in the NFL.
Unlike last season, he has a chance to prove his worth for the fourth wide out spot. It won’t be easy, as he has company. Both Josh Stangby and Josh Boyce are also fighting for the same role. No winner has been mentioned yet, but the spotlight is being shined on Bray. Brian Tyms was also in the running, but was placed on IR on August 2nd. Chuck Pagano stated “Quan has had two really good days as a wideout,” Pagano also mentioned. “His skill set, we all know, is appropriate for the position. He can make plays and make-miss ability out in the open field.”
Being the number four wide receiver for this team may not be permanent for Bray. Phillip Dorsett didn’t have a good rookie season even when healthy and on the field, and this could translate into another step forward for him. Both are similar and will have the same type role, and Chudzinski won’t hesitate to pull Dorsett for Bray.
Jack Doyle, TE
Category: Deep Sleeper
He will be entering his fourth season, and has good receiving skills. He caught 12 passes for 72 yards and a touchdown last year. Rob Chudzinski loves to use his tight ends. He has a long career with players such as Antonio Gates, Jordan Cameron, including the duo of Greg Olsen and Jeremy Shockey in Carolina. Indianapolis Colts tight ends could meet with similar results. Dwayne Allen is the starter and could be poised for a breakout season, but let’s not forget that Allen has had trouble staying healthy. Allen was out of commission for 21 games in his last three seasons, 15 alone in 2013.
Doyle is a hybrid of sorts. He can play the tight end position as a blocker or a receiver and even get into the H-back role. His versatility will lead for him to have many opportunities to be on the field, and give Andrew Luck a chance to find him. He is a better blocker than the departed Coby Fleener (New Orleans). It is his mitts that may be his weakness. They are adequate hands, but not as good as his ex-teammate.
The best situation for Doyle is the lack of depth at the position and his familiarity with Andrew Luck. Erik Swoope a former basketball player at Miami, and played last season for the most part on the practice squad, could cause some problems, but I still favor Doyle at this point for his blocking and the fact that Swoope has not played organized football at any level ever. Darion Griswold is also in the mix and a former basketball player himself who came to the Colts as an undrafted free agent from Arkansas State. He is a raw athlete and will need time to develop his blocking, but has good body control and can go after the pass.
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- FanDuel Bargains: Week Three - October 1, 2017
- FanDuel Bargains: Week Three - September 24, 2017
- FanDuel Bargains: Week Two - September 17, 2017
