Hakeem Nicks
Old Team: New York Giants
New Team: Indianapolis Colts
No, you’re not the only one that forgot Hakeem Nicks signed with the Colts this offseason. The former Tar Heel appeared destined for perennial Pro Bowl status following back-to-back 128-plus target seasons in 2010-11 but the emergence of Victor Cruz and a pathetic 2013 Giants offense pushed Nicks on the backburner for fantasy owners. He somehow managed to play, albeit occasionally limited with injuries, in 15 games with 101 targets but did not score a single TD in 2013 after doing this routinely during his first four seasons:
Nicks is ranked between 35-50 positionally and will likely be selected amongst a WR group that includes Dwayne Bowe, Marvin Jones, Kenny Stills and Tavon Austin. While the 5th-year wideout has only missed five games over the last five seasons, his effectiveness has been severely limited by an assortment of lingering injuries.
Nicks did not score in 2013 and only found the endzone three times in 2013 after a seven TD performance the year prior. He remains a strong target with massive mits but that has not translated to red zone opportunities: 10 targets in 2013 and only one target inside the 10-yard line. The change of scenery might be perfect timing and there’s plenty to go around from the charitable Andrew Luck, despite a likely No. 3 WR tag in the Colts offense.
Hakeem Nicks is the definition of a wild card fantasy player in 2014. His one year “prove it” deal with Indy might provoke a 1,000 yard season but it could also result in another downtrending year. Proceed with caution if you have an open spot in your starting lineup and are considering Nicks.
Photo Courtesy: Twitter (@Colts)
