Nyheim Hines Week 3 Outlook - Commanders at Browns

By Mike Tagliere (FantasyPros), Thu, Sep 24th 2020, 10:19am EDT

I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone, or someone is messing with me. Hines totaled 15 touches in a game that was close throughout with Marlon Mack in the lineup for 1.5 quarters, but then totaled one touch in a game where Mack was on injured reserve. Cool story, Colts. Meanwhile, Taylor didn't see a single carry until the mid-second quarter in Week 1, but then received 26 carries in Week 2. I really hope there's more clarity this week, as it makes no sense to me. The only explanation is that Hines doesn't have a role when the Colts are well ahead, which is why they gave Jordan Wilkins nine carries in Week 2. They're double-digit favorites this week. What happens when your offense averages 68.0 plays per game and your opponent allows 70.0 plays per game? Fantasy points, that's what. The Jets run defense has been very good under Gregg Williams, as they allowed just 3.12 yards per carry through 17 games coming into Week 2. The wheels came off against the 49ers in that game though, as they allowed a few big runs that netted 184 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. There's a lot to dissect here because the Jets aren't the same defense they were last year, as they've lost safety Jamal Adams and linebacker C.J. Mosley this offseason. Things can change quickly with teams trending in the direction the Jets are, so when you factor that in, combined with a 27-point team-implied total, Taylor is a must-start high-end RB2 who can reach top-five numbers if last week was a sign of things to come for the Jets. Hines is a lot trickier because the gamescript should be similar to last week's game where he got exactly one touch. It's starting to feel like a Tarik Cohen situation where you want him used more than he actually is. The Jets did allow the 11th-most fantasy points through the air to running backs last year, but again, Hines needs touches to get there. Consider him an RB4 where we hope last week was a fluke.