Fantasy Football: 10 Sleepers to Target Late in Your Draft
Jordan Wilkins, RB, Indianapolis Colts
ADP: 14.03 (RB59)
It appears as if Andrew Luck is healthy, and that means we can once again feel good about targeting the Indianapolis Colts in fantasy football. The Colts ranked eighth in points scored in 2016, Luck's last full season (15 games), and while their backfield is kind of a mess right now from a fantasy perspective, it's definitely worth getting some exposure to.
Marlon Mack is the incumbent, but among the 48 backs with at least 90 carries last season, he ranked 33rd in Rushing NEP per attempt. He obviously didn't wow the Colts too much, as Indy went out and took a pair of backs in the draft -- Nyheim Hines in the fourth and Jordan Wilkins in the fifth.
Wilkins is the cheapest way to get access to this backfield -- Mack is RB31 (6.06) while Hines is RB50 (12.02) -- and he may be the best bet of the bunch once you factor in price. Mack has been far from convincing while Hines fits the mold of a pass-game weapon who can also contribute in the kicking game.
Playing in the SEC, Wilkins had a solid final season at Ole Miss, rushing for 1,011 yards and 9 touchdowns. He picked up a robust 6.5 yards per carry in 2017, which ranked in the 84th percentile.
College stats are adorable and can be very meaningful, but almost all of Wilkins' appeal stems from how cheap he is and that he's part of a muddled backfield.
Mack has been out so far this offseason due to shoulder surgery, so Wilkins has been mixing in with the first team, per reports. And there's been some chatter about him possibly leading the backfield in touches this season.
Who knows how this is going to play out, but there's an opportunity for at least one of these backs to be a fantasy factor as long as Luck is under center. This is going to be one of the more high-profile training camp battles to watch.
Sometimes, in these running-back-by-committee situations, the best thing to do is to take the cheapest guy and hope for the best. Right now, that's Wilkins, and he could be a league-winning lottery ticket if he ends up with the starting gig.
