Colts Coby Fleener Sustains Another Concussion

The Indianapolis Colts up and coming tight end Coby Fleener was diagnosed with a concussion Tuesday, and will be held out of practice as a part of the NFL’s concussion protocol.

Couple this setback with Dwayne Allen’s foot injury and the Colts are left without both starting tight ends for this Sunday’s preseason game with the Giants. Coach Chuck Pagano did not specify when Fleener may have suffered the concussion, but it might have happened last week against the Bills.

Fleener now has a history of head injuries dating back to 2011 at Stanford. Last year during his rookie campaign, Fleener sustained another concussion heading into a bye week. In today’s NFL and with what science has determined about head injuries, the league will definitely keep a close eye on Fleener’s health.

Despite this week’s injury, Fleener has been excelling in training camp and has very high expectations this season with quarterback Andrew Luck. His combination of size, speed, and athleticism poses a difficult matchup for opponents. Coach Pagano even predicted that Fleener would double his reception total of 26 in 2012. Assuming he can keep his head up and healthy, Fleener might become a major component in the Colts passing attack this season.

Draft Zone: 20th Ranked Wide Receiver – Colts Reggie Wayne

Production expected to dip for Reggie Wayne in 2013

Indianapolis Colts Reggie Wayne is the 20th ranked wide receiver in this year’s 2013 fantasy draft standings. With an Average Draft Position (ADP) of 54, he’s likely to be taken sometime in the sixth round of most fantasy drafts.

Wayne hauled in 106 receptions for 1,355 yards and scored 5 touchdowns in 2012.  He was the 15th highest scoring wide receiver in standard fantasy leagues last season, and was a force in PPR leagues as he finished 6th in the NFL in receptions.

Last season, Wayne finished 2nd in the NFL in targets with 194. Quarterback Andrew Luck attempted to get Wayne the ball at every possible opportunity. Unfortunately, that may not still be the case this season.

This year Andrew Luck and Coby Fleener will reunite with former Stanford offensive coordinator, Pep Hamilton, in Indianapolis. Fleener was one of Luck’s favorite targets at Stanford, so expect Hamilton to try to reinforce this connection once again.

With wide receiver T.Y. Hilton emerging last season and showing the Colts that he can make big plays, the team might try to get the ball in his hands more often. The Colts also acquired another solid wide out in Darrius Heyward-Bey in the offseason, giving another reason for Luck to spread the ball around.

As the Colts attempt to get the ball to Fleener, Hilton, Heyward-Bey and others, this could very well eat into Wayne’s targets. Less targets will mean less yards and receptions for the veteran receiver. He will still line up as the Colts number one receiving option, but he’s not going to put up such great numbers.

Though Wayne will turn 38 years old this season, he’s still a talented wide receiver who can get it done. He has played in every Colts game since 2002, and is not much of an injury risk. Though he’s no longer a number 1 receiver in fantasy, Wayne can be a solid number 2 or a safe flex option this season.

Draft Zone: 24th Ranked Tight End – Colts Coby Fleener

Colts tight end Coby Fleener has a position ranking of 24 going into his second NFL season. Fleener’s average draft position (ADP) is 190, making him a late 16th round pick in most standard 12 team fantasy league drafts.

Fleener’s ranking is obviously based upon potential production, but he could rank much high by season’s end. His PPR ranking is listed at 20, due to the many looks he should be receiving from Andrew Luck.

As a rookie, Fleener only managed to haul in 26 receptions for 281 yards and 2 touchdowns, in the 12 games he started a season ago. But things got better for Fleener the moment the Colts hired Pep Hamilton as team’s new offensive coordinator.

Hamilton coached Fleener and Luck when they were teammates at Stanford. In 3 years at Stanford, these two offensive stars connected for 1,367 yards and 18 touchdowns. With Hamilton calling the shots, the organization is hoping that Fleener and Luck can rekindle some of that college magic.

Organized team activities seemed to mimic the high expectations for the young tight end as he was used heavily in Hamilton’s newly adopted offensive schemes. If you still need a tight end when the 12 round rolls around, Fleener might just be worth a look.