Colts 2021 Fantasy Preview: RB Nyheim Hines

Colts running back Nyheim Hines had a career year in 2020, but what do his fantasy prospects look like in 2021?

Jake Arthur | Jul 19, 2021

The Indianapolis Colts have another running back who is worth being rostered in just about every fantasy football league in 2021 other than Jonathan Taylor.

In 2021, Hines finished the season as a top-25 fantasy running back, and you may be surprised to hear that despite the proof being in the numbers.

What do his fantasy prospects in 2021 look like? Let's take a look.

Average draft position and positional rankings from FantasyPros . Projections are based on traditional lineups with PPR scoring.

Relevant to all Colts fantasy players, quarterback Carson Wentz underwent a procedure on his foot on Mon., Aug. 2 and is expected to be out anywhere from 5-12 weeks, which puts his return in the regular season roughly between Week 1-Week 8. Although the team will have a better idea of his approximate timetable for return a few weeks post-op, they believe his return will be on the quicker side of the range.

RB Nyheim Hines

Current ADP —135.0
Current Positional Rank — RB47
2021 Strength of Schedule —4th easiest
2018 — 16 games, 85 carries, 314 yards (3.7 avg.), 2 TD, 63 receptions (81 targets), 425 yards (6.7 avg.), 2 TD
2019 — 16 games, 52 carries, 199 yards (3.8 avg.), 2 TD, 44 receptions (58 targets), 320 yards (7.3 avg.), 9 punt returns, 281 yards (31.2 avg.), 2 TD, 1 FL
2020 —16 games, 89 carries, 380 yards (4.3 avg.), 3 TD, 63 receptions (76 targets), 482 yards (7.7 avg.), 4 TD, 30 punt returns, 300 yards (10.0 avg.)
Average per game — 4.7 carries, 18.6 yards (4.0 avg.), 0.1 TD, 3.5 receptions (4.5 targets), 25.6 yards (7.2 avg.), 0.1 TD, 0.8 punt returns, 12.1 yards (14.9 avg.)

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Some people adopt a Zero-RB approach to their fantasy drafts, acquiring elite wide receivers and tight ends early in the draft before relying on running backs who rack of lots of catches in later selections.

Hines used to be considered a perfect late-round Zero-RB pick, but now he's becoming just a plain good pick overall.

He is one of the most high-volume receivers among NFL backs, catching the eighth-most passes as a rookie in 2018, 16th-most in 2019, and third-most in 2020. He's a versatile pass-catcher as well, as he lined up 46 times out wide, 26 in the slot, and 3 times on the line in 2020.

However, Hines has also increased his rushing yards per carry in each of his three seasons, and he had his most productive season as a rusher in 2020.

2021-07-19_13-10-40 — Pro Football Focus

On top of it all, Hines is one of the NFL's best punt returners. If you're in a league that rewards return yardage or return touchdowns, Hines is a perfect fit for you.

One of the biggest conundrums that people have with Hines is consistency. He's the type of player to put up 20 points one week and three points the very next.

For example, in 2020, he had 5.0 or fewer points in four of the Colts' first six games. However, after the bye week, he completely flipped the script and had 5.0 or more points in nine of their 10 games.

The last thing to consider when deciding where to select Hines is the return of Marlon Mack to the Colts backfield. Hines' pass-catching presence has lacked threat in his three years in Indy, but Mack's return could cause his carries to deplete a bit.

Regardless, Hines' abilities make him dangerous and a welcome addition to just about any fantasy roster.

Now that he has developed into a triple threat as a runner, pass-catcher, and return specialist, Hines is a modern fantasy football must-have.

Are you planning on targeting Hines in your fantasy drafts? Drop your thoughts below in the comment section!

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Published Jul 19, 2021

JAKE ARTHUR

Jake Arthur has covered the NFL and the Indianapolis Colts for a decade. He is a member of the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA) and FantasyPros' expert panel. He has also contributed to multiple NFL Draft guides.