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The Duel

Would You Rather: Own Jordan Wilkins, Jonathan Williams or Nyheim Hines for Fantasy Football Playoffs

Zach Brunner
Jordan Wilkins runs the ball against the Oakland Raiders in Week 4.
Jordan Wilkins runs the ball against the Oakland Raiders in Week 4. / Michael Hickey/Getty Images
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Following the injury to Marlon Mack, the role of lead back in the Indianapolis Colts' offense has been up for grabs. With so much opportunity available and no clear player to grab it, all three Colts RBs have seen some significant work.

Initially, it seemed like Jonathan Williams took the opportunity and ran with it. After Mack went down in Week 11 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Williams took 13 carries for 116 yards. He followed that up with a 26-carry game on a short week, which resulted in 104 yards and a touchdown in Week 12. However, he saw just 22 percent of the snaps in Week 13; the lowest of the three backs. He ran the ball eight times for 14 yards in the first half and was benched for the entire second half.

Jordan Wilkins served as the main backup for Mack early in the season, but an injury opened the door for Williams to be given the first opportunity. It's possible Wilkins was still not fully healthy on the short week, which resulted in the heavy workload for Williams. However, he looked healthy in Week 13, seeing 11 carries and three targets. This resulted in him leading the backfield with 56 total yards.

Nyheim Hines has been locked into the pass-catching, change-of-pace role in this offense. When the Colts trail, Hines gets work. When they're ahead, he spends almost all of his time on the sideline. The Colts trailed in Week 13, and he turned four carries into 22 yards and a touchdown, giving him the best fantasy day of the three. His role is also the least effected by Mack's absence.

This Colts backfield is still one to stay away from, until it sorts itself out. Hines' safe role gives him some low-end FLEX value in PPR formats when the Colts trail, but his upside is minimal.

Between the other two, it seems like Wilkins is healthy enough to be the lead back, but it's not likely he sees the big workload Williams did a couple weeks ago, with both being involved. The top-ranked Indy RB in our Week 14 PPR fantasy football rankings is Wilkins, who checks in at RB32.

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