2010 Fantasy Player Profile: Austin Collie
The Indianapolis Colts drafted Austin Collie out of BYU in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft with every intention of using the talented receiver’s abilities. However, they didn’t hope (nor expect) to have to force him into action so suddenly.
Collie is a nightmare in the slot.
But that’s what happens when injuries take place in the NFL. You get your name called and you ascend, or you fail to live up to expectations.
Collie grab the bull by the horns when Anthony Gonzalez went down with a knee injury in Week One, and while it took him until Week Four to carve his niche in the Colts offense and make an impact, he never looked back once he did.
Collie enters 2010 as Indy’s returning slot receiver, and there’s not much of a chance that a healthy Anthony Gonzalez will change that.
Gonzalez is more of an outside threat, and will reportedly be chasing Pierre Garcon for the opportunity to lineup across from star number one receiver, Reggie Wayne.
This positively affects Collie’s fantasy value, as his supposedly minimal value in the slot could quickly grow as he gains more experience, hones his craft of perfect route-running, and develops better timing and chemistry with the cerebral Peyton Manning.
Collie is already off to a fast start, registering 60 reception for 676 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie, showing fantasy owners that the sky is truly the limit when the opportunities are there for the taking.
We can’t vouch for Collie as a WR2 by any means, but with time and growth in the Colts’ system, there’s a solid chance Collie won’t absorb negative affects of Anthony Gonzalez’s return, and his role in the slot could actually increase.
If that happens, and if Collie can crack 70 receptions, 700 yards, and stick around close to 5-7 scores, he could hold low-level WR3 value. If another injury were to occur as it did in 2009, Collie’s stock would shoot through the roof, and even without an injury, it could slowly be on the rise with further development.
Colts head coach Jim Caldwell has even stated that “the sky is the limit” for Collie, and with Gonzalez both not fully healthy and likely competing with Garcon for a separate position, Caldwell could be dead on about Collie’s fantasy value.
Monitor the situation throughout pre-season, and if Collie has a firm lock on the slot duties, bump him up your draft board.
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