Fantasy Fallout: Look for offensive inferno with Donte Moncrief back
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Here are the fantasy implications of Indianapolis Colts WR Donte Moncrief returning to practice in anticipation of returning Sunday against Kansas City:
Patience is rewarded
Fantasy owners who stashed Moncrief following his broken shoulder blade in Week 2 have been waiting for this moment. Not only did he return to practice Wednesday, he had this to say afterward:
Colts Donte Moncrief expects to play vs. KC. "I'll be surprised if I didn't."
— Mike Chappell (@mchappell51) October 26, 2016
Moncrief came into the season as one of the hottest sleeper picks in standard leagues, and he'll provide welcome relief to those waiting for him to contribute. He may not see a full complement of snaps right away, but he doesn't even need them to be a fantasy factor. Consider him a high-end WR3 this week against the Chiefs, with the upside to be a WR2.
Of course, if you've managed to thrive even without Moncrief active, you might want to consider moving him. It's a tricky situation at the moment, since how Moncrief performs Sunday will undoubtedly have a significant impact on his trade value. But if you've been hit hard at other positions by the Week 8 bye, you should test the market and look to improve elsewhere.
T.Y. still a top-10 option
T.Y. Hilton owners might wonder how the return of Moncrief affects their receiver. The answer: In no negative way whatsoever. Not only will Hilton continue to see the most targets of anyone in the offense, he has a terrific matchup against Chiefs SCB Steven Nelson, whose ProFootballFocus grade of 48.4 ranks him 97th among eligible cornerbacks.
Hilton is a no-doubt WR1 this week, and should see enough volume in this one to challenge for the top overall spot at his position. Daily fantasy owners should consider rostering Hilton in all formats, though it might be hard to justify taking him over other high-salary options like Mike Evans, A.J. Green or Julio Jones. Hilton does have one of the highest floors of the group.
Doyle no longer rules?
Doyle was the apple of fantasy owners' eyes last week, hauling in nine catches on 10 targets for 78 yards and a touchdown. As an unheralded waiver wire pick-up in season-long leagues and a near-minimum option in daily fantasy formats, Doyle was one of the most popular plays of Week 7. But Moncrief's return will take some of the sheen off Doyle's star.
Doyle is expected to have the primary tight end role to himself yet again, with Dwayne Allen still sidelined. But he'll be the No. 3 target in the pass offense with Moncrief back in the fold, and will be facing a Chiefs defense that has surrendered just 212 total yards and a touchdown to opposition tight ends so far this season. Doyle is a back-end TE1 at best this week.