Andrew Luck, Eric Ebron, Nyheim Hines Fantasy Outlook After Week 5

The Indianapolis Colts may have lost to the New England Patriots on Thursday night at Gillette Stadium, but they helped a lot of fantasy football owners in the process. The Colts scored three touchdowns and gained 439 yards in the 38-24 loss.

Quarterback Andrew Luck was the standout performer from Indianapolis' perspective, as he threw for 365 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Luck hit tight end Eric Ebron nine times for 105 yards and two scores, as the latter put up the first 100-yard receiving game of his NFL career. Nyheim Hines also caught seven passes out of the backfield for 45 yards, making up for an underwhelming return on the ground (45 yards).

Luck remains a must-start in standard formats. Even though he still looks to be working his way back from shoulder surgery, the Colts are too reliant on his passing, which is good news for fantasy owners.

With little running game to speak of, the Colts have to keep putting the ball in Luck's hands.

There should be regression in terms of his attempts because his pace is likely unsustainable. That won't be enough to hit Luck's value much, especially if he continues to improve with more game time.

The same can't be said of Ebron. Elevate him at your own risk.

Entering Thursday night, his 30 targets were second-most on the team. You have to weigh that against what has been an underwhelming career. In his first four years with the Detroit Lions, he never eclipsed 711 receiving yards or five touchdowns in a season.

Because tight ends are largely interchangeable in standard leagues, starting Ebron wouldn't be a bad idea. But plan on a few weeks in which his production will fall well short of expectations.

Hines is more valuable in point-per-reception leagues. In non-PPR leagues, his receiving numbers won't be enough to boost the minimal return he'll deliver on the ground to warrant flex consideration. Hines' 45 rushing yards were a season high; 19 yards represented his previous best.

Hines is owned in 52 percent of Yahoo leagues, which seems low given his ceiling as a pass-catcher. He's worth adding if only to see whether his role in the offense grows.