Fantasy Sleeper Alert: TE Coby Fleener Looking at Increased Role in New Colts Offense
Alex Dunlap, Rosterwatch.com

Image via Coby Fleener Twitter

Second-year Colts TE Coby Fleener will undoubtedly figure into the offensive game plan in Indianapolis with much greater frequency in 2013 than he did in 2012.

New Indy OC Pep Hamilton is no stranger to Fleener or QB Andrew Luck as their former play-caller at Stanford, and the reunion started in earnest during the NFL’s first week of preseason action. This is a breakdown of Fleener’s snaps in the contest:

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1) 2 Inline-TE set, completion to Reggie Wayne

2) I-Formation, Fleener motions to staggered flex TE on Vick Ballard run. Provides killer cave-in block on Bills DT No. 93. First down.

3) I-Formation, Fleener in-line to left, they run behind him again, this time, he does not do as good a job with his block, Ballard has minimal gain.

4) Shotgun, Fleener flexed on the line to the left, runs deep seam route in what appears to be Andrew Luck’s first read, clears out space for shallow T.Y. Hilton slant.

5) Fleener in-line to the right side, takes vertical stem in effort to clear out an area for Reggie Wayne to be targeted on the second and third windows of a long drag route that started on the opposite side of the line, incomplete.

6) Fleener lined up on right side of 2 TE set, quick-hit slant play over the middle to Fleener, complete.

7) I-Formation, Fleener flexed off the line to the right, Andrew Luck sacked.

8) Shotgun, Fleener aligned inline to the right, gives a pass block look on back-side of sweep-action.

9) Shotgun, Fleener flexed off to the right, runs an out pattern while Wayne runs vertical, inside breaking-stem, target to Wayne.

10) Fleener flexed off-line to the right, takes vertical stem, gives great corner fake before cutting across the field into a dig route. Makes completion and gets good YAC with physicality and moves before eventually fumbling.

11) Fleener flexed out left, runs quick out pattern.

12) Fleener aligned in-line to the left, makes great block for Donald Brown.

13) Fleener split right in a “twins” look inside T.Y.Hilton, Fleener takes vertical stem while Hilton runs out pattern.

14) Fleener aligned in-line to the left. Again, the Colts run behind him.

15) Fleener flexed off the right side in the redzone, takes vertical stem and is obvious first read of backup QB Matt Hasselbeck, drops sure TD.

16) Fleener lined up in-line to the left, takes outside release upfield during pass out of the backfield to Donald Brown.

Sixteen snaps, that was it for Fleener’s day—and all most will remember from it is a few bonehead plays that occurred during what could have been real game-changer-type moments. These were our takeaways, though:

1) Fleener played every snap that Andrew Luck played. He is the clear starting option.

2) Fleener was utilized in all sorts of ways. It was exactly 50/50 when comparing the number of snaps Fleener played in a “traditional” alignment to the number he played flexed out or split wide.

3) 80 percent of the routes that Fleener was charted running were on vertical stems, which bodes extremely well for projecting potential yards/target numbers in-season.

4) Fleener is underrated as a blocker, and won’t be kept off the field in running situations. The team actually seems to like running behind him.

5) Three targets in 16 snaps is significant, especially with one in scoring position.

Bottom Line

Fleener is undervalued in fantasy drafts, and we advise our readers to take a shot on him as a TE2 in the rounds just prior to selecting a defense and kicker, or during the $1-$2 bargain-basement clear-out time that occurs in the dragging ends of mock auctions. Fleener has legitimate TE1 upside in 2013.