Aug 16, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) makes hand signals while at the line of scrimmage against the New York Giants in the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Is your fantasy football draft coming up soon? We have projections for your top picks on the Colts roster.
Most projections are assuming that the Colts are going to essentially run the same offense as last season. That clearly isn’t the case from what we’ve seen at camp and through two preseason games.
This is looking more and more like a spread offense that keeps its playmakers on the field and utilizes a no-huddle tempo to put pressure on opposing defenses. Expect to see higher numbers from everyone on offense in 2014, at least in terms of passing.
Looking at the Colts schedule its very likely that this offense will be fairly high scoring. They have six games versus the worst division in football, the AFC South, as well as the NFC East, the NFL’s second worst division. The AFC North, New England, and Denver won’t be easy, but 10 games against questionable opponents will lead to some impressive offensive numbers.
Based on the improved offensive look, and the weak schedule, the Colts should have more than a couple solid additions to your fantasy team.
ESPN’s Matthew Berry ranks Luck as his 67th best player. ESPN Projections rank him 48th overall and the sixth best QB. NFL.com believes he’s the 43rd overall player and the fourth ranked quarterback. CBS believes he’s a fifth or sixth round pick but he could be a top five QB in 2014.
ESPN is assuming that Luck’s production will stay roughly the same. I don’t see that happening, not with the emphasis on pushing the tempo with this new offense and more weapons for him on the field.
Getting Dwayne Allen and Reggie Wayne back is huge and Hakeem Nicks is a huge upgrade at the third receiver spot. Expect Luck to make another jump in his development in his third year. I predict Luck to have 30-plus touchdowns, especially with the new emphasis on illegal contact by defenders.
He’s definitely a starting QB on your team, and you shouldn’t be disappointed in his production this season at all.