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Thursday Night NFL Matchups Analysis: Week 5 Start/Sit for Fantasy Football

A lot of question marks are hoping to get answered during the Thursday Night Football prime time matchup between AFC South opponents.

The Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts have both experienced time without their star player and have both had less than stellar starts to begin the 2015 season.

The big story here is that Andrew Luck will be out for the second week in a row, and veteran Matt Hasselbeck will be under center for the Colts. This is going to have a major fantasy impact on the game on both sides of the ball, and may even make the Texans the favorites to win.

 

Colts @ Texans - Matchups We Love

Arian Foster: Foster returned to the field last week in dull fashion after missing the first three weeks of the season due to a groin injury during the off-season. It wasn't anything surprising, as reports indicated that he would be eased back into his full-time role, but it's almost if fantasy owners would've rather he sit Week 4 instead of playing while he's not 100%. Foster did not exhibit the typical burst that is expected from him and lost a fumble.

In any case, the increased workload is on its way and Foster appears to be back to 100% even on short rest. One stat that favors Foster is that he's had plenty of success against the Colts of late. Last season, Foster rushed 20 times for 109 yards and two touchdowns (and added three catches for 32 yards) during their first meeting and rushed 26 times for 99 yards (adding three catches for 18 yards) in their second meeting.

DeAndre Hopkins: Hopkins has been the lone threat on the offensive side of the football and hopefully can have a little less attention aimed at him with Foster at full strength. The Texans receiving corps is depleted as both Nate Washington and Cecil Shorts have been ruled out for the game, and Colts shutdown corner Vontae Davis may also be out. This is a recipe for fantasy success, as Hopkins had 22 targets last week and should receive at least 15 looks this week.

Rookie wide receiver Jaelen Strong isn't worth playing tonight, but can be someone to keep an eye on if he dazzles in his extended action.

Texans DST: With anybody other than Andrew Luck under center, the Colts are a below-average offense. All of the weapons in the world can't help Matt Hasselbeck get the ball down the field, and the Colt will likely have to lean on Frank Gore. Hasselbeck also isn't anywhere near as mobile as Luck, and J.J. Watt, Jadaveon Clowney and company should cut through the Colts porous offensive line like a hot knife through butter. Expect a handful of sacks and possibly a fumble or two.

 

Colts @ Texans - Matchups We Don't Love

T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief: Colts position players did not stray too far from the norm with Matt Hasselbeck slinging in relief duty last week. Wide receiver T.Y. Hilton tied his season high in catches with seven (only 67 yards) and had the most targets he's had since Week 1 in the blowout against the Buffalo Bills. However, Hilton's down-the-field impact play ability will be limited with Hasselbeck at quarterback, taking away a large chunk of his value. He might have WR2 numbers this week if he scores a touchdown, but that's about where his ceiling is.

The same can be said for Donte Moncrief, who's been Indianapolis' best receiver to date. Moncrief caught six passes for 75 yards last week against the Jaguars and will most likely see double-digit targets again. Last week was the first game of the season in which Moncrief didn't catch a touchdown, and it's hard to bank on him finding the end zone with Hasselbeck at the helm.

Frank Gore: The Colts gave Frank Gore his highest work load of the season last week against the Jaguars, rushing for 17 times  and catching five passes. Although Hasselbeck threw 47 times last game, one would imagine the Colts want to even up the play calling a little bit. Unfortunately, the Texans front line is the best part of their defensive unit and Gore hasn't shown the ability to be effective against an above-average defense this season.

 

Other Game Notes

Colts: Dwayne Allen returns to the Colts lineup tonight, effectively erasing Coby Fleener's value for now. Allen is touchdown dependent and hasn't had the stats to backup making him an obvious starting choice, but if Hasselbeck plays, he did lean on Fleener last week and perhaps Allen will reap those rewards. Fleener caught 9-of-12 targets last week for 83 yards and a touchdown. Hasselbeck will continue to check down to his comfortable targets, and Allen should be on the shortlist for anyone's plug-and-play options.

Texans: Ryan Mallet is getting the start for the Texans despite being benched in the Week 4 blowout against the Falcons. His rapport with DeAndre Hopkins is undeniable, but with very few other options in the passing game the Texans will likely lean on the run game against the Colts bad defensive line.

 

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