Fantasy Upside
There's been a lot of buzz this offseason out of Indianapolis for this dual-threat fourth-round rookie. In addition to the Colts lining him up all over the field in OTAs, his pass protection is viewed as the best of this RB room with Frank Gore no longer with the Colts. Head coach Frank Reich had this to say about Hines: “One of the things that you have to have to have position versatility is high football intelligence. You have to be able to move and play a lot of positions and move around and play fast. (It’s) very evident that he’s very intelligent, besides being a 4.3 (40-yard dash) speed guy.”
Fantasy Downside
The Colts' new coaching staff has indicated this will be a full running back by committee (RBBC), but with Gore gone and Robert Turbin now suspended four games, the question will be whether it's a two- or three-man RBBC. It's clear Hines will play this season, but will he be used in a fantasy-relevant volume role like Darren Sproles or more like the name coaches keep comparing him to, Dexter McCluster?
2018 Bottom Line
Hines' solid pass protection may be the key to unlocking high snap counts this season. The Colts lacking a reliable No. 2 WR could also mean the Colts spread him out wide often. This is a rookie satellite back worth taking a chance on in fantasy drafts this season in PPR leagues, especially at his 14th-round ADP.