Sleeper Watch

In spite of Peyton Manning’s heroics, owning one of Indianapolis’ wide receivers can be a frustrating experience. As good as the trio of Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Brandon Stokley is, their owners can never be sure which WR will be Manning’s target du jour, and which will disappear. (Just ask Wayne owners about the Colts’ 41-9 victory over the Lions last Thanksgiving, in which Harrison and Stokley each hauled in three TD passes while Wayne finished with a measly 37 yards and no scores.) But if you think owning a Colts’ WR is a roller-coaster ride filled with unexpected ups and downs, consider what people with one of their tight ends on their rosters went through.

The problem wasn’t that Manning didn’t get the ball to his TEs. Quite the contrary: Colt tight ends racked up an impressive 765 yards and 11 touchdowns last year. The trouble was that Manning spread the ball a little too evenly. Dallas Clark finished the campaign with 423 yards and five scores, with teammate Marcus Pollard compiling a total of 309 yards and six TDs. While the team’s overall TE production was excellent, this even distribution left both Pollard and Clark as middle-of-the-road fantasy options. And as with the Colts’ wide receivers, it was impossible to forecast who would step up and who would pull a vanishing act in any given week.

All that should change this season. Pollard has joined the Detroit Lions as Stephen Alexander’s replacement, leaving Clark as Manning’s primary TE target in Indianapolis. Ben Hartsock, the team’s third-round pick in 2004, will receive more playing time in his sophomore campaign, but Clark should see the bulk of the action, with a corresponding increase in his numbers.

Pollard might also be in for a solid season in Motown. Quarterback Joey Harrington has an impressive array of WR targets in Roy Williams, Charles Rogers and Mike Williams, but chances are he’ll still find himself looking for his safety valve frequently. If you’re unwilling to part with an early pick to snare a top TE, he might be worth a look in the later rounds.