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
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Philip Rivers to Colts: Fantasy Impact

The Indianapolis Colts needed a new quarterback, and they got one with former Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers who signed as a free agent. Gage Bridgford looks at the fantasy football impact for Rivers and the Colts' skill players at RB, WR, and TE.

After a wild first day of free agency, there were still a number of major dominos left to fall, especially at quarterback. Former Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers was one of those veterans that was expected to be on the move after it was announced weeks ago that he and the team would be parting ways.

Rivers had long been a rumored target for the Indianapolis Colts and they landed him with a one-year contract that was worth $25 million. After a lackluster year from quarterback Jacoby Brissett, it became evident that they were interested in a more high-octane option. While Rivers will be a short-term rental, he will give their entire offense a bump in 2020.

Rivers didn't cost them any draft capital or players on their roster. With an overwhelming amount of cap space, giving him that hefty deal doesn't bog them down to continue to make moves this year. Indianapolis missed the playoffs last year, but they're hoping that Rivers is the type of quarterback that can bring them back. Could this inject life into his fantasy value after a disappointing final season with the Bolts?

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Expectations for Rivers

Rivers was a great fantasy option for a number of years, but he ran into issues last season with turnovers. His touchdown to interception ratio was just 23:20 after keeping a near 3:1 ratio in the two prior seasons. One of the major reasons for Rivers' struggles was due to a poor offensive line. The Chargers dealt with injuries and poor draft picks which made them unable to keep him clean. After re-signing left tackle Anthony Castonzo, the Colts won't have the same problem.

Rivers has made his reputation as a gunslinger through volume. He has attempted at least 500 passes in every season since 2010. While Indy hit that mark last year, this team doesn't try to win with high-octane offense. They like to ride their stable of running backs and control the clock throughout the game. Similar to the way the Green Bay Packers were winning games last year, their quarterback was in charge of taking care of the ball while keeping the offense moving forward. That's what the Colts will be trying to do with Rivers in 2020-21.

I expect the Colts to take a step forward on defense with the offense getting a bump as well. As a result, I'd put Rivers somewhere in the QB12-15 range. He would give me confidence as a backup or streaming option, but I wouldn't want him as my weekly starter unless it was an extremely deep league. He finished as QB18 last season, and I think he's going to smash that mark next season.

 

Time for a T.Y. Hilton Bounceback

Prior to an injury last season, wide receiver T.Y. Hilton was on pace to be a top-10 receiver in fantasy. He was his team's clear top option, and he was showing a new nose for the end zone. Through his first five games of the season, he had 30 catches on 40 targets for 306 yards and five touchdowns. No one else on the team was coming even close to the numbers he was putting up. After his injury combined with Brissett's struggles, his season trajectory tanked.

Rivers' top target with the Chargers was wideout Keenan Allen, who finished with 260 or more PPR points in each of the last three seasons. Hilton is easily going to be that guy for Rivers with no other candidate on the roster. Hilton has improved his ability to work on the underneath routes over the past two seasons which will help as Rivers' arm continues to diminish.

After scoring five touchdowns through five games, Hilton scored zero over the final five. Allen had scored at least six in each of the past three seasons. Hilton will see somewhere north of 120 targets next season, and he still has the speed to turn in multiple big receptions that result in touchdowns. Unless Indianapolis adds another legit threat at wide receiver, which they could do in the draft, Hilton's stock is going to continue pointing all the way up.

 

Nyheim Hines is Trending Upwards

Chargers running back Austin Ekeler saw 108 targets last season as his team's second running back. Colts running back Nyheim Hines isn't the receiver out of the backfield that Ekeler is, but I expect him to put up value on a weekly basis as Rivers uses him as an outlet. Against opponents with a big advantage or with an elite offense, it wouldn't stun me for him to finish as an RB1 in certain weeks.

In his two seasons, Hines has 107 receptions to his name, and he's caught 77.0% of the targets that have been thrown his way. The Colts don't have a ton of proven receiving threats, but Hines is one of them. He gives the new quarterback a bailout option when none of his other targets are open, but they can also get more experimental with how they use Hines. He can create mismatches out of the backfield, and head coach Frank Reich will take advantage of that.

I would still expect running back Marlon Mack to be this team's lead running back, but I think Hines is going to bring more scoring than we've seen from him in the previous two seasons. Similar to how the Chargers deployed their two running backs, we could see the Colts utilize that to keep each of them fresh throughout the season. Additionally, Mack has yet to play 16 games in a season in his career, so Hines is just one injury away from becoming a starting running back in a good offense.

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Brock Purdy

Out 2-to-5 Weeks with Turf Toe
Lauri Markkanen

Big at Both Ends as Finland Books Place in EuroBasket Semis
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Notches 39 Points in Losing Effort
NBA

Cam Reddish Expected to Move to Europe
NBA

Trey Lyles Joins Real Madrid
NBA

Charles Bassey Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Hawks
Terence Davis

Waived by Kings
Will Smith

Scratched With Hand Soreness on Wednesday
Ketel Marte

has Foot Contusion, Expected to Play Friday
Shohei Ohtani

Won't Pitch This Weekend
MacKenzie Gore

to Start on Thursday
Ketel Marte

Exits Early on Wednesday
Matthew Knies

Ready for Bigger Role With Maple Leafs
Jack Eichel

Unbothered by Lack of Extension
Sidney Crosby

Not Thinking About Leaving Pittsburgh
SJ

Michael Misa Signs Entry-Level Contract With Sharks
Rutger McGroarty

Nursing an Injury
Brock Purdy

"a Long Shot" to Play on Sunday
Aaron Rodgers

Dealing With Back Tightness
Dallas Goedert

Questionable for Week 2 at Chiefs
Anthony Rizzo

Retires
Cameron Champ

the Ultimate Wild Card at Procore
Cameron Young

Looks to Extend Momentum in Napa
Davis Thompson

Searching for a Spark at Procore
Sahith Theegala

Looking to Reignite Form at Procore
Mackenzie Hughes

Aims for Another Strong Showing at Procore
Luke Clanton

Brings Ball-Striking Upside to Napa
Seamus Power

Looking to Overcome Poor Course History at Procore
Joe Highsmith

Hoping to Find Form in Napa
Jadeveon Clowney

Visiting With the Cowboys on Wednesday
Masyn Winn

Will Require Offseason Knee Surgery
Kristaps Porzingis

Reportedly Still Not Completely Healthy
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Reportedly on the Trade Block
Andre Drummond

Future in Philadelphia in Doubt
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Helps Greece Reach Semis at EuroBasket
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Posts Historic Triple-Double
Joel Dahmen

Finishes Tied For 15 at Wyndham Championship
Bud Cauley

Finishes Tied for 33rd at BMW Championship
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied for Seventh at Tour Championship
J.J. Spaun

Finishes Tied for 25th at Tour Championship
Collin Morikawa

Finishes Tied for 19th at Tour Championship
Keith Mitchell

Misses Cut at Wyndham Championship
Ben Griffin

Finishes Tied for 10th at Tour Championship
Patrick Cantlay

Finishes Tied for Second at Tour Championship
Gary Woodland

Could Hang Around at Procore Championship
Ranger Suárez

Ranger Suarez Strikes Out 12, Earns 12th Win on Tuesday
Karl Vilips

Ready for Napa Valley This Weekend
Taylor Montgomery

Heating Up at the Right Time
Jackson Koivun

May Be a Little Rusty at Procore Championship
Doug Ghim

Looking to Rise Up at Napa Valley
Christian Watson

Agrees to One-Year Contract Extension
Josh Giddey

Re-Signs With Bulls for Four Years
Shakir Mukhamadullin

Joins Informal Skate
William Eklund

Skates With Sharks
Owen Power

Back at 100 Percent
Tyler Seguin

Cleared for Action
Mathew Barzal

Good to Go for Season Opener
Will Smith

Returns to Dodgers Lineup on Tuesday
Dustin Wolf

Signs Seven-Year Extension
Kyle Stowers

Dealing With Strained Side
Kyle Tucker

Placed on Injured List With Calf Strain
Jauan Jennings

Considered Day-to-Day, has a Chance to Play in Week 2
Jalen Carter

Receives One-Game Suspension, Will be Eligible for Week 2
Bo Bichette

Goes on Injured List With Knee Sprain
George Kittle

Placed on Injured Reserve
Tyreek Hill

Accused of Domestic Violence
Jauan Jennings

Avoids Serious Shoulder Injury
Garrett Crochet

Shuts Out the Athletics
Royce Lewis

Launches Two Homers Monday Night
NBA

Mason Jones Takes His Talents to Australia
NBA

Talen Horton-Tucker Joins Reigning EuroLeague Champions
New York Knicks

Malcolm Brogdon on Knicks' Radar
Andrew Wiggins

Attracting Interest From Lakers
Miami Heat

Heat Interested in Reunion With Precious Achiuwa
Tyler Glasnow

Fans 11 in Seven No-Hit Innings Monday
Slade Cecconi

Takes No-Hitter Into Eighth Inning Monday
Max Muncy

Batting Cleanup in Return to Dodgers
New York Knicks

Ben Simmons Reportedly Declined Knicks' Contract Offer
Younghoe Koo

Falcons Auditioning Kickers, Could Replace Younghoe Koo
Denver Broncos

Sean Payton Says Broncos Need to be Better With Run-Pass Balance
Tank Bigsby

Eagles Acquiring Tank Bigsby From Jaguars on Monday
George Kittle

Likely Out 3-5 Weeks, Could Land on Injured Reserve
Chase Burns

to be Activated on Friday
Brock Purdy

Dealing With Multiple Injuries, Could Miss Week 2
Tyler Glasnow

Cleared to Start on Monday
Logan O'Hoppe

Placed on Concussion Injured List
Christian Yelich

Returning on Monday
Elias Pettersson

Feeling "Good" Ahead of Season
NHL

Alex Formenton Rejoins Swiss Team
NHL

Grigori Denisenko Heads Back Home
CAR

Kevin Labanc Joins Hurricanes for Tryout
Ross Colton

Healthy for Start of Season
Brock Bowers

Considered Day-to-Day With Knee Injury
Jonathan Taylor

is "Good" After Taking a Hit to his Neck in Week 1
Caio Borralho

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Nassourdine Imavov

Extends Win Streak
Mauricio Ruffy

Gets Submitted
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Taps Out Mauricio Ruffy
Russell Wilson

Remains the Giants Starter
Paul Craig

Retires After UFC Paris Loss
Denny Hamlin

Earns his First Cup Victory at Gateway
Kyle Larson

Damage Ruins Kyle Larson's Chance At a Top Finish at Gateway
Christopher Bell

Scores his Third Top-10 Finish at Gateway
Joey Logano

Maintains his Perfect Top-Five Streak at Gateway
Ryan Blaney

Struggles and Recovers for a Top-Five Finish at Gateway
Modestas Bukauskas

Scores First-Round Knockout
Bolaji Oki

Suffers Second-Round TKO Loss
Xavier Worthy

Week-to-Week with Dislocated Shoulder
Mason Jones

Scores Comeback Win
Rhys McKee

Suffers Third-Round TKO Loss
Axel Sola

Successful In His UFC Debut
Robert Ruchała

Robert Ruchala Unsuccessful In His UFC Debut
William Gomis

Bounces Back In The Win Column
Derrick Henry

Scores Twice but has Costly Fumble on Sunday
Chase Elliott

Gets Lucky but Still Has Best Run at Gateway
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Wins Stage 2, but Was Let Down by Strategy
Tyler Reddick

Despite Bad Luck, Tyler Reddick Does What he Needed to Do
Chase Briscoe

Recovers from Incident with Daniel Suarez to Finish Second
William Byron

Late Caution Foils William Byron's Shot at Gateway Victory
Jayson Tatum

"Moving Around Way Better"
Ryan Blaney

Should Contend at Gateway
Denny Hamlin

Fastest in Qualifying, the Favorite to Win at Gateway
Christopher Bell

Looking for Redemption at Gateway
Joey Logano

Has Been Elite at Gateway
Austin Cindric

Should Be On Your Radar at Gateway
AJ Allmendinger

Could Be a Sleeper Again at Gateway
Tyler Reddick

Southern 500 Near-Miss Makes Tyler Reddick a Stronger Option for Gateway
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace a Likely Gateway Contender
Alex Bowman

a Long Shot to Advance in Playoffs
Austin Dillon

Richard Childress Racing Looks Slower at Gateway, Which Will Hurt Austin Dillon
Shane Van Gisbergen

Starts 18th in Gateway Debut
Jeremy Swayman

Ready to Get Back on Track
Connor McDavid

Aiming for More Goals
NJ

Luke Glendening Signs Tryout Deal With Devils
Dylan Harper

Hoping to be Ready for the Opener Versus Dallas
EDM

Derek Ryan Retires From Hockey
Connor Zary

Agrees to Three-Year Deal With Flames
Caio Borralho

Set For A Title Eliminator Bout
Nassourdine Imavov

Looks To Earn A Title Shot
Mauricio Ruffy

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Set For UFC Paris Co-Main Event
Modestas Bukauskas

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Paul Craig

In Dire Need Of Victory
Mason Jones

Set for Main-Card Bout
Bolaji Oki

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Rhys McKee

Set To Open Up UFC Paris Main Card

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP