Indianapolis Colts - Fantasy News

Colts vs. Titans Start 'Em / Sit 'Em

by Aaron Bowers

10/13/17

NFL

Indianapolis Colts

Jacoby Brissett

Monday Night Football will feature an AFC South divisional battle when the Indianapolis Colts travel to Tennessee to take on the Titans. Each team enters this game at 2-3, one game back of the first-place Jacksonville Jaguars. Both squads desperately need this win to ensure the season doesn’t slip away.

Without Andrew Luck, a 2-3 record is about as good as could be expected for the Colts. After an embarrassing loss to the Rams in Week 1, Indianapolis has rebounded and climbed back into the division race. The Colts have been underwhelming on both offense and defense, but they have capitalized on their weak early-season schedule.

Coming into the season, many expected the Titans to make the leap into the tier of AFC contenders. With Marcus Mariota healthy, the offense seemed up to the task, though he missed Week 5 and much of Week 4 with a hamstring injury. The Tennessee defense has been terrible, allowing more than 26 points four times in five games, including giving up 57 points to the Texans.

Mediocre offense should trump below-average defense in this game, and we expect good fantasy production for a number of players in this contest.

Indianapolis Colts Week 6 Projected Fantasy Points
Jacoby Brissett: 13.5 PFP
T.Y. Hilton: 12.5 PFP
Frank Gore: 8.0 PFP
Adam Vinatieri: 8.0 PFP
Marlon Mack: 7.5 PFP
Donte Moncrief: 7.0 PFP
Jack Doyle: 6.5 PFP

Tennessee Titans Week 6 Projected Fantasy Points
Marcus Mariota: 16.5 PFP
DeMarco Murray: 10.0 PFP
Rishard Matthews: 10.0 PFP
Delanie Walker: 9.5 PFP
Ryan Succop: 9.0 PFP
Corey Davis: 7.0 PFP
Eric Decker: 7.0 PFP
Derrick Henry: 6.0 PFP
Taywan Taylor: 5.5 PFP

Start 'Em: Jacoby Brissett (13.5 PFP)

In his last three starts, Brissett has scored more than 13.5 Dober Fantasy Points twice and averaged 19.1 DFP per game. His performance has been extremely impressive given the circumstances of his in-season trade. He has elevated the Colts offense and adds a rushing element to the quarterback position that keeps defenses honest. In fact, Brissett’s rushing production is the biggest reason we are endorsing him in this matchup. He has averaged 6.6 DFP per game rushing in his four starts, and the Titans defense has had difficulty keeping containment. Look for Brissett to keep his hot streak going in this contest.

Sit 'Em: Marlon Mack (7.5 PFP)

An exciting rookie out of USF, Mack has scored two touchdowns in three career games. As evidenced by his 10.1 yards per carry in Week 5, he certainly has explosive ability. However, he tries to bounce everything to the outside, almost regardless of the running room between the tackles. Additionally, his role in the Indianapolis offense is far from defined. Frank Gore is still the early-down workhorse, and Robert Turbin has had six or more touches in three straight games. While this is certainly an inviting matchup, we advise staying away from this backfield situation until it’s clarified.

Start 'Em: DeMarco Murray (10.0 PFP)

After averaging 104 yards from scrimmage in 2016, Murray is off to a disappointing start to the 2017 season. Through five games, he has eclipsed 70 scrimmage yards only once, and that was thanks to a 75-yard touchdown against Seattle. However, in favorable game-scripts, the volume has been there for Murray. In Week 5, he played 83 percent of the snaps and touched the ball 18 times. The Colts are giving up over 100 yards per game on the ground and have allowed six rushing scores in five games, which are second-most in the league. This is a get-right spot for Murray, and we recommend targeting him on Dober Play Cards.

Sit 'Em: Rishard Matthews (10.0 PFP)

Matthews has scored more than 10.0 DFP just once this season and has fewer than 50 receiving yards in three of his last four games. The Titans aren’t a team that wants to throw the ball. In an ideal world, they’d run the ball 45 times and keep their defense off the field. While Mariota is expected to play in this game, he spreads the ball around a lot, and it’s impossible to guess who is going to score a touchdown on any given week. If Matthews isn’t going to find the end zone, he isn’t going to get over his PFP. We recommend fading him on Dober Play Cards until his PFP more closely matches his week-to-week production.