Fantasy Stock Up, Stock Down: Indianapolis Colts

Welcome back to the “Fantasy Stock Up, Stock Down” series (off-season edition). Free agency is looming, and rumors are spreading like wildfire. Meanwhile, we as Dynasty Managers need to be listening in and thinking about our off-season adjustments. Who are we going to target in Rookie Drafts? Who are we going to go out and trade for? Who are we willing to give up in return? Will you go all in this season to bring home a championship? Or should you go young and prepare for the future? There’s so much to think about before September. The “offseason edition” of this series is an early look at whose stock is up and whose stock is down as we head into free agency and draft season. We will break down each NFL team one by one. Today is all about the Indianapolis Colts. 

STOCK UP – KYLEN GRANSON

There are tons of speculations going around that Carson Wentz may be out of town. Nothing is set in stone, so we will avoid the quarterback position today. A position that isn’t being talked about a ton is the tight end spot. Mo Alie-Cox is set to hit free agency, and Jack Doyle is going into his age-32 season. He’s also set to hit free agency next offseason. So what does that mean for the future at this position for Indianapolis? Well, they did draft a tight end with their first selection of Day 3 last offseason (127th overall), and he posted decent numbers for being the TE3 behind Doyle and Alie-Cox in 2021. Kylen Granson drew a total of 228 snaps (21 percent) and hauled in 11 of his 15 receptions for 106 yards during his rookie campaign. With Alie-Cox likely out of town and Doyle aging quickly, imagine what he could do with a 20 percent snap count percentage increase in 2022. 

Granson may not be the most intriguing tight end to target this offseason for your dynasty teams, but in deeper leagues, he’s worth a look. In his first two collegiate seasons, he suited up for Rice University. In 15 games played, he hauled in 51 receptions for 622 yards and two touchdowns. Because of his lack of playing time during his sophomore season, he decided to transfer to Southern Methodist University (SMU) for his final two years of college. That’s when he broke out in a big way. In 22 games played for the Mustangs, Granson hauled in an impressive 78 receptions for 1,257 yards and 14 touchdowns in two seasons. The second-year pro for Indianapolis is no stranger to dominating as a pass-catcher, and he could blossom into a solid tight end in this league sooner rather than later. 

Other Notables: Michael Pittman Jr., Mike Strachan

STOCK DOWN – Parris Campbell

There’s no denying that Campbell doesn’t have the talent to become a reliable pass-catcher for years to come. He’s shown flashes of excitement during his first three seasons, but he simply CAN’T STAY HEALTHY. In the NFL, it’s hard to get a second chance, let alone a fourth. Still riding his rookie contract out for one more season, Campbell will more than likely be a Colt when the 2022 season starts. Whether or not he’ll be on the field much is the question. Michael Pittman Jr. has solidified himself as a WR1 for this team. Ashton Dulin and Mike Strachan should see more time on the field next season, and expect the Colts to either sign a pass-catcher in free agency or use their draft picks on one or two. T.Y. Hilton is also a player that could be in the mix once again, as reports have indicated that Hilton wants to retire a Colt. 

Campbell will be entering his fourth season, and he’ll be 25 when the campaign starts in September. If you have any Campbell shares, this is the off-season to officially cut ties with him. It seems like every year we all get excited about what he could be, and then he lets us down by suffering some kind of season-ending injury. During his rookie season, multiple injuries led to him only suiting up for seven games the entire year. Then during his sophomore season, he suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2. Last year, he hauled in a 51-yard receiving touchdown in a game against the Texans. That play is the play we Campbell believers were all waiting for. And of course, he suffered a broken foot on that exact play. He’s talented, and he’ll likely receive opportunities next season, but as a dynasty manager that held on to him for three seasons, I’m willing to let go and never look back. So should you. Even if he starts to play well at some point next season, let someone else deal with the headache.

Other Notables: T.Y. Hilton (UFA), Sam Ehlinger

Teams Broken Down Already: Bears, Bengals, Bills, Broncos, Buccaneers, Cardinals, Chargers, Chiefs

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