If you've drafted yet using our cheat sheets, there's a good chance you have Nyheim Hines on our team. We've been fans for a while of the Colts' passing downs back. And I'm an even bigger fan today, after the Colts released Phillip Lindsay.

Jonathan Taylor is the main runner in Indianapolis, of course, and the top pick in most fantasy leagues. Hines should be busy in passing situations, boosting him in PPR. But in the preseason he was also being used as the clear No. 2 -- as in, the main runner if Taylor wasn't available -- and that looks like it will be the case in the regular season.

The other backs on the Colts' roster were Phillip Lindsay, Deon Jackson and Ty'Son Williams, the latter of whom most will recall was a brief waiver wire darling early in Baltimore last year (before he flopped). Lindsay has a couple of 1,000-yard rushing seasons on his resume, from when he was in Denver. Jackson mostly played special teams last year; he has 13 career carries.

The guess was that if Taylor were to get hurt, it'd be a Lindsay-Hines committee, with Hines playing a little more than if Taylor were healthy, but still ceding a lot of carries to Lindsay.

With Lindsay gone, it's just Hines, Williams and Jackson behind Taylor (for now). Williams quickly became an afterthought in Baltimore, and he didn't look impressive this preseason, either. He carried 11 times for 26 yards, which is 2.4 per attempt. When the starters were on the field, it was all Hines (Taylor didn't play), and I think that's pretty much what we'll see in the regular season, too.

Strictly as a pass catcher, of course, Hines has been pretty great. Twice in four seasons he's caught 63 balls. Just 40 with Carson Wentz last year, but the ideal -- and a better comp for this year's quarterback Matt Ryan -- was the 63 he caught in 2020, with Philip Rivers at quarterback. In any case, Hines has caught 210 passes over the past four seasons. Only five running backs have caught more.

RUNNING BACK RECEIVING, 2018-2021
PlayerTgtRecYdsAvgTD
Alvin Kamara37629224378.315
Christian McCaffrey32627723648.512
Austin Ekeler32025524479.621
Ezekiel Elliott30223016127.09
James White29422018658.513
Nyheim Hines27221015377.37
Leonard Fournette25720313946.93
Saquon Barkley26019014827.88
Aaron Jones23117414268.212
Dalvin Cook21517114098.23
James Conner19116113388.37
Kenyan Drake21215812507.96
Tarik Cohen20415612227.88
Melvin Gordon20315211577.68
David Johnson21115113559.010
Mike Davis1781448686.04
Joe Mixon17414110357.38
Giovani Bernard1791359306.96
Jalen Richard16113511408.40
Chase Edmonds1641289217.25
Kareem Hunt15712311419.313
Duke Johnson16412311299.27
Jamaal Williams1491238567.06
David Montgomery1541219247.63
Todd Gurley1651159518.36
D'Andre Swift1351088097.54
Josh Jacobs1361077527.00
Devin Singletary1411076916.53
Anthony Firkser140106110710.45
Devonta Freeman1291056816.55
Miles Sanders1491048648.33
Dion Lewis1291036916.73
Chris Thompson1361037927.72
Devontae Booker1261016846.81
Chris Carson1231007457.56

Data from pro-football-reference.com was used in compiling this table.

Maybe the Colts have their eye on another cut to back up Taylor. Sony Michel was released, and Duke Johnson was too. But right now, it's Hines as the viable alternative to Taylor, and that won't necessarily change.

A running back who can be started in PPR leagues most weeks who's also a potential feature back if the starter gets hurt? Sign me up for some Hines.

--Andy Richardson