Donte Moncrief, Phillip Dorsett's Fantasy Outlook After T.Y. Hilton's Injury

Fantasy owners will be on the lookout for a big-play wide receiver after Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton went down with a back injury Thursday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Indianapolis announced he wouldn't return to the game.

The Colts have done a good job to accumulate depth at wide receiver behind Hilton to soften the blow of losing him, though he is still their No. 1 pass-catcher. He had nearly 400 more receiving yards (1,124) than Donte Moncrief (733) in 2015. 

The gap is even wider this season, as Hilton has clearly emerged as Andrew Luck's favorite target. Entering Week 12, Hilton's 57 receptions and 888 receiving yards more than doubled the team's No. 2 wide receiver (21 receptions, 364 yards). 

By the way, that No. 2 player is Phillip Dorsett, not Moncrief. Dorsett was largely a non-factor in his rookie season with just 18 receptions for 225 yards in 11 games. 

Moncrief came into the season looking like a potential breakout star, especially if Luck stayed healthy. The 23-year-old led the Colts with six touchdown catches in 2015.

Jamey Eisenberg of CBSSports.com provided solid reasoning to expect Moncrief to improve on his 2015 totals: "I expect his third year to be a breakout season for him. There are a boatload of targets to go around with Coby Fleener and Andre Johnson gone, and I do not expect the Colts to run the ball very well."

Instead, Hilton and tight end Jack Doyle have been the go-to options for Luck. The good news for patient fantasy owners is with Hilton out, someone figures to be the beneficiary of his receptions and yards.

The Colts have not been a team that can rely heavily on the running game because it hasn't been a productive area of their offense since Luck arrived. Frank Gore is having a solid season with 3.9 yards per carry, but at 33 years old, he lacks the explosiveness to shoulder a heavy load. 

Dorsett should move into the No. 1 spot and becomes a must-add in fantasy circles because of his speed on the outside. 

Moncrief moves into the No. 2 spot for the Colts by default, but he is still trying to find consistency to become a reliable fantasy player. He's not a fantasy option now, even with Hilton's injury. 

Luck's health is the only potential misgiving about targeting either player. A concussion kept him out of Thursday's game against the Steelers, leaving Scott Tolzien as the starter. In the event Luck is forced to miss even more games, Dorsett's and Moncrief's respective values will take a hit.

Dorsett is the Colts playmaker to start with Hilton on the sidelines. If he's able to build a rapport with Luck or Tolzien quickly, he will be worth burying on your roster even after Hilton returns because of his big-play upside.