When their No. 1 tight end Dwayne Allen exited with an injury, the Indianapolis Colts turned to Coby Fleener to fill the void on Sunday. He responded with a career-high in yardage as the Colts lost to the New England Patriots 42-20.
Fantasy football waiver wire, Week 12: Coby Fleener goes for big yardage
When the starter goes down, the No. 2 can do big things. We break down the fantasy implications.
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Fleener caught all seven of his targets for 144 yards, topping his previous career-best of 107 yards and only the second 100-yard game of his career. Allen left the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury and with wide receiver T.Y. Hilton blanketed much of the game, the Colts leaned heavily on Fleener and wide receiver Reggie Wayne.
Fantasy impact: Fleener has had a handful of helpful games this season, but as long as Allen was on the field, he just wasn’t involved enough in the Indianapolis offense to be a strong fantasy option. In other words, his status going forward is going to depend a lot on the condition of Allen’s ankle.
If Allen is fine going forward, Fleener belongs in the group of tight ends just outside of fantasy startability, the 12-15 range. If Allen were to miss time, though, Fleener jumps into the position’s top 10, albeit at the low end.
