Colts

Draft Day Drama: Indianapolis Colts

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Draft Day Drama: Indianapolis Colts

By Jonathan Walker

 

 

For several years now the Indianapolis Colts have been playing QB roulette, bringing in Phillip Rivers, Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan, Nick Foles, and now Gardner Minshew. They released veteran QB Matt Ryan on Tuesday, March 10th, 2023, leaving a void at quarterback yet again. With the 4th overall pick in this year's draft, the Colts look to stop the bleeding by selecting a QB for a change. There are a ton of Mock Drafts that have them selecting Kentucky QB Will Levis. Will Levis is a pocket passer with a rocket for an arm. That’s not all as he has shown he can use his legs to gain yards, making him almost the perfect fit for new Head Coach Shane Steichen.

In his last season in Kentucky, Will Levis threw just over 2,400 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions with a completion of 65.4%. Levis however had -107 rushing yards for 2 TDs. His completion percentage was higher than fellow rookies Anthony Richardson and Bryce Young. Ohio State QB C.J Stroud had a 66.3% completion rating beating Levis by a slim 1.1%. That’s pretty impressive considering Levis lost all of his weapons the year before.

My favorite game from this season is when the Kentucky Wildcats played the Missouri Tigers. Levis threw for 170 yards, 3 touchdowns going 13-19 having a 68.4% completion rating. The Wildcats beat the Tigers 21-17, the reason this is my favorite game for Will Levis is he made several great passes. He was accurate in all zones of the field, did not force too many throws, and was able to read the opposing defense very well. Levis also led the Wildcats on a 4th quarter comeback with about 5:30 left in the game by making a fantastic bullet throw on a 3rd and 11 on his own 22-yard line.

Now for the DRAMA, if the Colts do draft Will Levis who will be their starter? Would they let the 4th overall pick in the NFL draft sit behind Nick Foles or Gardner Minshew? In most cases yes, but I remember the Cardinals trading up to draft QB Josh Rosen in 2018. They regretted that choice almost immediately. In fact, they gave up their 1st, 3rd, and 5th round picks just to move up five spots. Rosen then started 13 games and went 3-10 his rookie season having only 11 touchdowns but 14 interceptions.

On the other hand, drafting a QB in the top 5 can be positive for the team. Look back at 2012 when the Colts drafted Andrew Luck. He threw for 4,734 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions with a 54.1% completion rating. Luck also rushed for 255 yards and 5 touchdowns his rookie season, winning 11 games for the Colts which is the 3rd most wins by a rookie. Luck went 53-33 during his career before he unexpectedly retired at the age of 29. The Colts can only hope Will Levis can do the same thing for them, just not retire at a young age.

 

Fantasy Impact

With the Colts coming off a 4-12-1 season and bringing in a new Head Coach Shane Steichen, he will certainly look to make an immediate impact on the team. Bringing in a young talented player like Will Levis who could be that impact he’s looking for.

The way Levis can read defenses and make a pass in almost any tight window could be impressive to Steichen. The Head Coach-QB combo could quickly become one like the Eagles have. Last season Steichen lead the Eagles to have the #3 NFL offense in yards per game (389) and points per game (28). He was also able to lead them to be a top 5 rushing offense in the NFL, they were also able to lead the NFL in rushing touchdowns all season (32).

If Shane Steichen can make Will Levis the Colt's new Franchise QB, then both of them should make that immediate impact on the offense. The Colts would have a chance to put up numbers mirroring that of the Eagles from this past season. The impact that would have for pass catchers Michael Pittman, Isaiah McKenzie, Kylen Granson, and Jelani Woods could be a huge boost for their fantasy owners. If the Levis pick is made I would certainly look to buy Michael Pittman if I could get him at a good deal. If you could get Granson, Jelani, and/or McKenzie for cheap right now, the reward could be well worth it.

Dynasty Dilemma: Jonathan Taylor

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Dynasty Dilemma: Jonathan Taylor

By Bob Miller

 

As the NFL Draft approaches, dynasty owners wait with anticipation to see where these rookies end up. Where does Breece Hall end up.. how about Malik Willis? There are so many questions yet to be answered. One question that everyone seems to know the answer to is “Who is the overall RB1 in dynasty?” Jonathan Taylor seems to be the unanimous answer to that question, but I have my doubts. I know that may seem crazy, but here me out. It's obvious that buying Jonathan Taylor seems like a no-brainer. Not only am I going to give you some reasons to buy JT, but I'm going to give you some reasons to actually sell him as well.

 

 

Age

Taylor is entering his age 23 season and has his whole future ahead of him. Any educated Dynasty League owner knows that a running backs' dynasty value doesn't last very long. The younger the better. It seems that around that age 26-27 season is when we start seeing issues such as a declining skill set that results in the drafting of a younger, cheaper running back. The biggest issue as of late is their large cap number. Past stud running backs with these possible issues include Ezekiel Elliott, Christian McCaffrey, and Aaron Jones. All of them could be traded or outright released this next offseason. With all that being said, it makes Jonathan Taylor worth that much more in dynasty.

 

Touches and Durability

Taylor is an unquestioned workhorse running back, which is rare these days. Some fantasy analysts had strong concerns that his usage in college would affect his performance/durability in the NFL. So far, those analysts have been wrong. In fact, last season Taylor had 372 total touches that included 332 carries and 40 receptions. His durability is not an issue as he has only missed one game in his two seasons so far. The sky could be the limit with Taylor running behind that elite offensive line in Indianapolis. You can plug him in as your RB1 for the next couple of seasons with very little concern. You can’t say that about many running backs these days.

 

 

 

Worst RB1 since 2015

This past season Taylor finished at 22.54 fantasy points per game.. the worst overall RB1 numbers since Devonta Freeman in 2015. Derrick Henry actually averaged 26.92 fantasy points per game last season before going down with his injury. In 2020 Taylor would have finished 4th behind McCaffrey, Kamara, and Dalvin Cook. Listen.. I’m not saying he stinks, but in PPR leagues, he just isn’t the unanimous RB1 to me. Although he should be a lock for 20 fantasy points a game, we could see Henry, McCaffrey, and Dalvin finishing ahead of him this coming season. Since this in dynasty, I still have JT ranked ahead of all three of those guys. With that being said, I can see a players like Najee Harris, Cam Akers, or Javonte Williams taking claim as the overall RB1 in PPR Dynasty this time next season.

 

Selling Price

With Taylor ranked as the dynasty RB1, it makes me wonder what I can get for him. That hype and dynasty ranking makes him more valuable than he may actually be. Why not dangle him out there and see if you can get a king’s ransom in exchange. I haven’t seen him move much in dynasty, however I have seen some incredible returns in the deals that I have seen. Just yesterday I saw Taylor traded for McCaffrey, Kelce, and Deebo Samuel. I’d take that all day. He was traded in another dynasty league I’m in for JK Dobbins, two mid 1sts, a 2nd, and a 2023 1st. Um.. yes please! After seeing these returns, I absolutely encourage you to see what kind of haul you can get for Taylor.

 

I’ve said this a million times.. I’m a businessman when it comes to dynasty. Not one player of mine is ever “off-limits”. I’m always in the business of making a profit when the opportunity presents itself. With that being said, don't trade Jonathan Taylor just for the sake of making a trade. We all have one of those guys in our leagues haha. Shop Taylor to see what you can get, and don’t be afraid to pull the trigger. You’re not married to these guys, and everything can change with a snap of the finger, ask Christian McCaffrey owners. There is absolutely nothing wrong with keeping Taylor, as he should be a steady top 3-5 dynasty RB for the next few years. However if someone offers you the moon, smash the accept button.

 

 

You can follow me on Twitter at @DynastyBobFF