Fantasy Upside
Moncrief had it cooking with Andrew Luck in 2015, as he gets set to enter his 3rd NFL season and get Luck back in 2016. In seven games with Luck under center, Moncrief found the endzone five times. Moncrief scored 13.9 FP/G with Luck in 2015. That extrapolated out over 16 games would have moved Moncrief up from WR36 in PPR to WR20. It could have been even better too if the Colts didn’t have to play in a Monday Night Football monsoon in Carolina.
Fantasy Downside
Moncrief has essentially taken over Reggie Wayne’s old role in the offense as the outside receiver who will run many short and intermediate possession routes. That means it’s less likely he will produce chunk plays like he did a few times as a rookie (three 45+ yard touchdowns in 2014 versus zero 40+ yard receptions in 2015). That means red zone opportunities are likely crucial to Moncrief’s fantasy outlook, and savvy fantasy prognosticators know predicting touchdowns from year to year is extremely difficult. The Colts also spent a 2015 1st round pick on Phillip Dorsett, and entering his second season, that could eat into Moncrief’s targets, as the Colts look to get the speedster more involved.
Bottom Line
Moncrief is solidly inside our top-25 WRs in both standard and PPR, with room to reach that top-20 range he posted with Luck a year ago. Plus, given his ADP around the 6th-7th round turn in 12-team leagues, he presents great value, as he’s ranked ahead of a handful of WRs being drafted up to two rounds before him.
Week 17 vs. Tennessee
Donte Moncrief struggled last week (2-15) as he fights through injury, and he could struggle again this week, but for another reason. The Colts have a major question at quarterback: who is going to start? Moncrief has been a solid player this season, catching six touchdowns, but it's very hard to have too much faith in him this week. He should be viewed as nothing more than a WR4.
Week 16 vs. Miami
Donte Moncrief played last week despite not practicing, and turned in a solid 5-51-1 effort. He's been pretty solid throughout the entire season, although he has had some down performances. He'll get a favorable matchup this week against a struggling Dolphins defense. He'll be a solid WR3 option in all formats.
Week 15 vs. Houston
Donte Moncrief missed Thursday's practice and doesn't appear to be starting this week. Even if he does, he might be limited due to his injury, and it's a bad matchup.
Week 14 at Jacksonville
After blowing up for over 100 yards in Week 12, Donte Moncrief finished with just one catch for 33 yards in Week 13. To be fair, the Colts struggled as an entire offensive unit last week.
Moncrief has been a good option for most of the season, and is second on the team in targets, receptions and yards. He's tied with T.Y. Hilton for a team-high five receiving touchdowns. He'll get a decent matchup this week against Jacksonville, a team he finished 6-75 against earlier in the season. He'll be a WR3 play this week.
Donte Moncrief - Week 13 vs. Pittsburgh
Donte Moncrief had a solid 8-114 outing last week, ending his somewhat disappointing slide in production. He didn't have a touchdown, but he was much more involved than we've seen him in a few weeks.
The second-year receiver should continue to have big numbers this week in a favorable matchup against Pittsburgh. The Steelers have struggled to stop opponents in recent weeks, allowing over 300 passing yards in three straight games.
Moncrief should be viewed as a WR3 option this week.
Week 12 vs. Tampa Bay
After catching five touchdowns in the Colts first seven games, Donte Moncrief has now gone three straight games with a score and put up a combined 89 yards. His role in the offense has gone down as Matt Hasselbeck has taken over. Moncrief's money-maker was his ability to find the endzone when other Colts receivers couldn't. Now that he's not in the endzone, Moncrief should only be viewed as a WR4.
Week 11 at Atlanta
Donte Moncrief's season has taken a bit of a dip lately. His last three games have been underwhelming, failing to reach 40 receiving yards. His struggles are likely to continue against a tough Falcons defense this week. Atlanta has allowed just three receiving touchdowns to receivers all season, including just one in its last five games. Moncrief should be viewed as a WR3 or flex play this week.
Week 9 vs. Denver
Donte Moncrief had a let-down performance in Week 8. He finished with two receptions for 18 yards in his second-worst game this season. Moncrief is usually reliable with a touchdown, but he's been known to disappoint. With T.Y. Hilton possibly out, however, Moncrief sees a slight bump this week. Not much of one, however, since he'll face the top pass defense against Denver. Moncrief is nothing more than a WR3 this week.
Week 8 at Carolina
Donte Moncrief continued his successful season last week, finishing with four receptions for 34 yards and a touchdown. He now has five scores in the first seven games this season, making him a legit scoring threat every week. Moncrief gets a tough matchup this week against the Panthers, although he could put up some production while T.Y. Hilton is covered. All things considered, Moncrief should be viewed as a low-end WR2.
