X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Colts Conundrum: What To Do With Marlon Mack Hurt

Eric Samulski takes a look at the Indianapolis Colts backfield with Marlon Mack hurt and offers advice on which running backs will be most productive for fantasy football owners while Mack is sidelined.

Hello, my name is Eric Samulski, and I spent all my FAAB on Brian Hill last week. Phew! I’m glad we got that out of the way. Now that that’s on the table, we can talk honestly about this week's biggest running back decision: How the Colts will replace Marlon Mack, who just underwent surgery on his hand.

This time of year can be deadly when trying to pick up running back. All of us are out there, desperate on the streets, searching for the one guy who’s gonna take us to the promised land. The one guy who's going to make our season of struggle worthwhile. Yet, in reality, the more likely situation is that we’re going to be hoodwinked. Bamboozled. Led astray by some tantalizing player who quickly reminds us why he wasn’t a starting option to begin the season.

Maybe I’m a little gun shy after Brian Hill let me down, but I also want all of us to be aware of the risk we're taking as we head down this road together. We’ve got three potential options behind an offense of line that many consider to be one of the best in the league. However, on the year, the Colts are 11th in line-adjusted rushing (yardage gained due to the success of the line and not just the running back). That's behind offenses like Buffalo, Oakland, and Los Angeles (the Rams). They are 14th in success on power runs and, surprisingly, 22nd in the league in percentage of runs stuffed at the line. The talent may be there, but this line is not performing at an elite level, which will make the task even harder for whichever runner gets the job.

Editor's Note: Find sleeper picks, undervalued ADPs, and draft targets to help you dominate your fantasy football drafts. Try our free who to draft tool for personalized recommendations.

 

Jonathan Williams

The trendiest option to replace Mack is Jonathan Williams. The twice-released running back had a great game last week against a formidable but not overly strong Jaguars Defense. As a rookie with the Buffalo Bills in 2016, Jonathan Williams impressed many people with his aggressive running style and the lateral agility to make people miss in the open field. However, with the Bills changing coaching staffs, he found himself on the outside looking in. He latched on with New Orleans and also impressed people in the preseason, only to be released again.

So we have a running back who has tantalized with preseason ability but has been consequently cut by two different organizations. He's also been a member of the Colts since October of 2018 but was active for only three games and saw two total carries before last week. There is something to the fact that he has shown these flashes in the past.

Behind a good offense of line, his strong burst and above-average wiggle should give him the ability to gain decent chunks of yards, and his power should make him a solid red-zone option. However, the line is allowing a lot of plays to be stuffed, so that says to me that he's more of an RB3 with the potential to become a low-end RB2 if he’s able to find the end zone.

You can't deny how good Williams looked last week, but he's not a real option in the passing game, especially with the presence of another guy who we are going to talk about later. It gives me a bit of pause.

 

Jordan Wilkins

The other factor capping William's upside is the presence of Jordan Wilkins. The second-year back from Mississippi has been Mack's back-up all season, even with Williams on the team. Wilkins isn't the athlete that Mack is and doesn't run with the nasty demeanor that Williams does, but he's been effective as a backup in his short NFL career.

He's averaged over six yards per carry this season and showed himself to be a solid enough receiver last year that the Colts don't necessarily need to take him off the field on passing downs. He makes his bread inside, with 71.4% of his rushes coming between the tackles. He's also gained 63% of his yards after contact, which, while fine, trails Jonathan Williams' 88% and is indicative of Wilkins' lesser physicality.

What's more interesting to me is Wilkins' usage so far this year. He wasn't called upon last week to replace Mack since Wilkins was out with an ankle injury; however, when Marlon Mack left the Raiders game early in Week 5, Wilkins only saw four rushes, compared to Nyheim Hines' three. In fact, despite Mack battling through multiple injuries this year, Wilkins has never seen more than seven carries in a game. Last year, with Mack also dealing with injuries, Wilkins saw over 10 carries in a game only once, and he rushed 14 times for 40 yards in that Week 1 loss to Cincinnati.

He's been an effective part-time player, but do the Colts think he can handle a starter's workload?

 

Nyheim Hines

If that weren't enough, Nyheim Hines is also around the muck up the situation. The Colts' primary pass-catching back has seen his rushing usage dwindle in his second year. After averaging just under 20 yards a game on the ground last year, Hines has averaged 7.7 yards per game rushing this year on 2.3 attempts. The Colts simply aren't going to use him as a runner. He doesn't have the size to hold up to a full workload and doesn't gain enough yardage after contact (57% - below league average) to move the chains consistently on the ground.

However, Hines will be involved in the passing game. Without Mack, and with T.Y. Hilton also banged up, the Colts may be playing from behind in upcoming games against the Texans, Titans, Buccaneers, and Saints. In the Colts' losses, Hines sees around four targets a game. If you bump that up without Mack around, it's safe to predict about six to eight targets a game for Hines, depending on the game script.

 

Marlon Mack

The incumbent also isn't to be forgotten. Mack already had surgery on his hand, but there is no clear timetable for his return. He's still seeing specialists to determine just how much contact he can take. If the hand is recovered enough to hold the ball, and taped up enough to soften tackles, then Mack being able to play will come down to pain tolerance.

He will be at a heightened risk of re-injury on one direct hit while he's carrying the ball, but we can't guarantee he's out multiple weeks. For what it's worth, Dr. David Chao tweeted the other day that it's reasonable to think Mack could play in Week 13. That could put a big damper on the value of all the players listed above, but it's also far from certain to happen.

 

Verdict

Where does that leave us? Nowhere good, to be honest. At least with Brian Hill, he had locked-in touches. Even with a poor performance, he played 60% of the Falcons snaps. I'm not sure we can assume that with the Colts situation.

Past usage and the roster construction all season tells me that Jordan Wilkins will be the guy. The Colts preferred him over Williams all year on the roster, so I don't think one week changes that. I also don't think the Colts want to feed Wilkins more than 10-12 carries in a game, so I expect Williams to have approximately five to eight carries and Hines to be involved in a slightly enlarged passing role.

That's not a situation I really want to mess with. Especially with the Colts fighting for a playoff spot and Mack potentially only being out one to two weeks.

 

Yeah, But I Need a Win This Week

If you absolutely need a win this week, I'd go with Wilkins, but I wouldn't blow my FAAB on it. I don't know that he'll be that much more useful than Bo Scarbrough. If you're in a PRR league, I think Hines will be the highest-scoring Colts running back on Thursday against the Texans since I assume the Colts will need to put up a lot of points.

If you're already locked into the playoffs, I'd float an offer for Marlon Mack. If we see him back in a week or two, you'd have a sure-fire RB2 for the final few weeks.

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jaylen Johnson

Chargers Place Jaylen Johnson on PUP List
Dereck Lively II

Undergoes Right-Foot Surgery Tuesday
Kendrick Bourne

Kayshon Boutte Fighting for Final Spots
Isaiah Collier

Logs a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Monday
DeMario Douglas

Kyle Williams "Locks" for Receiving Corps
Trey Smith

Chiefs, Trey Smith Finalizing Massive Extension
Anthony Richardson Sr.

Colts Expected to Ease Anthony Richardson Sr. Back in
Devin Carter

Posts 17 Points Versus Suns
Bronny James Jr.

Scores 17 Points in Summer League Loss
Terry McLaurin

Undecided on Whether he Will Report to Training Camp
Colston Loveland

Says his Shoulder is 100 Percent
Harrison Ingram

has Impressive Outing Against Jazz
Sam Williams

has Potential to be Elite Edge Rusher
Shemar Stewart

Considering Going Back to College?
Jahmyr Gibbs

Lions Want Jahmyr Gibbs "More Involved" in Passing Game
Jordan Addison

Could be Facing Three-Game Suspension
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Kyle Filipowski

Records 35-Point Double-Double Against Spurs
Kel'el Ware

Dominates Against Celtics
Kon Knueppel

Gets Going Monday
Matas Buzelis

Puts Up 28 Points in Win Over Pacers
Reed Sheppard

Shut Down for Rest of Summer League
Paul George

Undergoes Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
Oneil Cruz

Ties Home Run Derby Distance Record
Cal Raleigh

Wins 2025 Home Run Derby
Najee Harris

Likely to Miss Time at Start of Training Camp
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Collin Morikawa

Misses The Cut at Genesis Scottish Open
Hideki Matsuyama

Finishes Tied For 13th at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Brooks Koepka

Finishes Tied For 32nd at LIV Andalucia
Tommy Fleetwood

Finishes Tied For 34th at Genesis Scottish Open
Jason Day

Misses The Cut at John Deere Classic
Ludvig Aberg

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Cam Taylor-Britt

has Benefited From Addition of Al Golden
Rome Odunze

Could Take Off in Year 2
RJ Harvey

to Get "Significant" Work in Broncos' Passing Game
Jackson Powers-Johnson

More Comfortable Heading into Year 2
Luke McCaffrey

In Line for Larger Role?
Braelon Allen

Jets Viewing Braelon Allen as Long-Term Starter?
Joel Embiid

Participating in Partial Basketball Activities
Victor Wembanyama

Officially Cleared to Return After Blood-Clot Recovery
Mike Williams

Heading to PUP List
Garrett Wilson

Lands Historic Deal
Colston Loveland

Shoulder "Good" After Surgery
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Kel'el Ware

Collects 21 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Cam Spencer

Contract Being Restructured
Drew Timme

Scores 30 Points in Summer League Loss to Wizards
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Alexandre Sarr

Logs Impressive Outing in Summer League Action on Sunday
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Kyle Filipowski

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss to Warriors
Cody Williams

Collects 22 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Boston Celtics

Damian Lillard Drawing Interest from the Celtics
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Kyle Stowers

Punishes Former Team with Three-Homer Game
St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals Select Liam Doyle with Fifth Overall Pick
Daniel Gafford

Agrees to Contract Extension with Dallas
Colorado Rockies

Rockies Select Ethan Holliday Fourth Overall
Seattle Mariners

Kade Anderson Selected Third Overall by Seattle
Ha-Seong Kim

X-rays on Ha-Seong Kim's Foot Come Back Negative
Los Angeles Angels

Tyler Bremner Selected Second Overall by Angels in 2025 MLB Draft
Washington Nationals

Nationals Select Eli Willits First Overall
Jake Meyers

to Miss More Than Three Weeks With Calf Injury
Edward Cabrera

Hopeful to Avoid Injured List
Oneil Cruz

Absent on Sunday
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF