Indianapolis Colts - Fantasy News

Should I Start Jacoby Brissett in Week 4?

by Derek Norton

9/27/17

NFL

Indianapolis Colts

Jacoby Brissett

Jacoby Brissett has played admirably for the Indianapolis Colts thus far considering the circumstances.

A member of the New England Patriots until just before the start of the season, Brissett was forced into action due to Scott Tolzien’s poor performance and is already playing much better. Brissett has saved Indy’s offensive weapons from fantasy misery thus far, but that may not be the case this week.

Why Should I Start Jacoby Brissett?

Brissett is a legitimate dual-threat quarterback. He had two rushing touchdowns against the Cleveland Browns, and they weren’t just Tom Brady-like plunges from the one-yard line. He scored from five and seven yards out while avoiding defenders with uncommon athleticism. The second touchdown in particular would not have been possible for most quarterbacks in the league.

As such, Brissett carries the higher upside that comes with rushing quarterbacks. The threat of a touchdown on the ground from anywhere on the field means he’s always on the verge of a day-making play. He only had one passing touchdown in Week 3 but scored 27.76 Dober Fantasy points. The Seattle Seahawks are dead last in the league in yards per carry (5.3) in large part due to their inability to put a stop to big plays. A 30-yard touchdown run from Brissett is almost all you’d need for him to meet his projected 11-point line.

Brissett’s play so far resembles Tyrod Taylor when he’s at his best. Taylor has been known to have a monster game from time to time and wasn’t shut down in a road primetime matchup with the Seahawks in 2016. He threw for 289 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and he added 43 yards and a rushing score. That would have earned him 23.86 Dober points.

A couple of Brissett’s weapons have also been productive against the Seahawks in the past. Frank Gore dominated Seattle for years as a member of the San Francisco 49ers, rushing for 1,495 yards against the ‘Hawks in 19 games and averaging 4.98 yards per carry. But it’s T.Y. Hilton who will affect Brissett the most. Hilton’s lone meeting against the Seahawks came in 2013, when Seattle went on to win the Super Bowl. He caught five passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns. Granted, that game was in Indianapolis and Andrew Luck was at quarterback, but Seattle’s defense had one of the best seasons of all time that year. Hilton has proven he can be effective against the Legion of Boom.

Why Should I Bench Jacoby Brissett?

Historically, it’s best to avoid using players going against the Seahawks at home, particularly in a prime time game. The mystique has eroded somewhat, particularly after a poor showing against the Tennessee Titans in Week 3, but they’re still dominant more often than not. The Seahawks have faced Aaron Rodgers, Brian Hoyer and Marcus Mariota this season and are ninth in passing yards allowed (600) and eighth in passing yards per attempt (6.3). In their lone home game, they held Hoyer to 99 yards, no touchdowns and an interception.

It’s also important to note that this is going to be Brissett’s first career start on the road. His four combined starts with New England and Indianapolis were all home games. This is obviously not the optimal scenario for one’s first career road outing. The noise could cause Brissett all sorts of problems in communication and pass protection.

Brissett was much more successful against the Browns than the Cardinals largely because the Cards pressured him more. He played much more conservatively against Arizona, averaging 5.84 yards per attempt. He nearly doubled that number (10.79) against Cleveland. Expect Seattle’s defense at home to cause him even more problems.

Should I Make Jacoby Brissett a Week 4 Fantasy Starter?

No. There’s plenty to like about Brissett’s game, but using him in his first career road start on Sunday night in Seattle…well, surely you have better options. You’d more than likely need Brissett to score on the ground, and he’s probably not going to have as much success in Seattle as he did against the Browns. Hold off on Brissett for now, but keep an eye on him for use in the coming weeks.

Week 4 Fantasy Prediction: Jacoby Brissett Under 11.0 DFPs