Colts preview

The Indianapolis Colts went 13-3 last season, led by one of the league's most prolific offenses and an equally powerful defense. Indianapolis scored 450 points last season, third-most in the NFL, thanks to four top-flight fantasy starters. The Colts' defense was also a fantasy starter, allowing a league-best 262 points. That makes five fantasy starters, a number that will rise to six or seven this season.

QB: Peyton Manning won't play in the preseason after offseason surgery on his left knee, but count on him being ready for Week 1. And count on him being ready for every game after that, since Manning hasn't missed a game in years. Manning's numbers were off slightly last season - his 4040 passing yards were only seventh-best and his 31 TDs were fourth-best while his 14 INTs were a career-high. But he still is a top-tier quarterback who I'd rate No. 2, behind Tom Brady. Manning plays in a dome, so none of his fantasy playoff games will be in lousy weather. And he'll have four-five good weapons to throw to this season, so his numbers should rise. He's had at least 4000 passing yards in 8 of 10 NFL seasons.

RB: Joseph Addai was a fantasy starter last season, racking up 1436 all purpose yards and 15 TDs. He's surpassed 1000 rushing yards (1072 in 2007) and 1400 all purpose yards in each of his first two seasons. And he'll take most of the Colts' carries since his backup options are limited. Indianapolis is a pass-first team, but Addai is still good for 1100 rushing yards, 400 receiving yards and 14-16 TDs, making him a low-level No. 1 fantasy starter. ... Dominic Rhodes (302, 1 with Oakland) is Addai's backup, but not worth taking late as insurance, because he doesn't have Addai's pass-catching ability.

WR: Reggie Wayne emerged as one of the top three fantasy receivers last season. He caught 104 passes - third-best in the league - for 1510 yards - which led the league - and 10 TDs. He is a surefire starter again this season, and I'd rank him as the No. 3 overall fantasy receiver, behind Randy Moss and Terrell Owens. But count on Wayne's numbers slipping slightly this season, because Marvin Harrison should be healthy for a full season after being limited to five games last season because of injury. With a healthy Harrison in 2006, Wayne caught 86 passes for 1310 yards and 9 TDs. Expect similar results this season. ... Harrison has been a reliable No. 1 fantasy receiver when healthy. Before 2007, he posted 1100 receiving yards in each of the previous eight seasons. He'll turn 36 next week, which is old for a receiver, but he should post another 1000-yard season if he stays healthy. He's a good low No. 2 or high No. 3 fantasy receiver. ... Anthony Gonzalez caught 37 passes for 576 yards and 3 TDs as a rookie last season as the Colts' No. 3 receiver. His numbers should go up this season, making him a valuable fantasy backup, or a starter in 16-team leagues.

TE: Dallas Clark was a top-tier starting fantasy tight end last season. His 58 catches were seventh among tight ends and his 616 yards were eighth. But his 11 TDs were two more than anyone else. Because the Colts throw so much, he'll be a top-five tight end again this season. I'd rate him No. 4, behind Tony Gonzalez, Jason Witten and Antonio Gates.

K: Adam Vinatieri made 23 field goals last season, tied for 21st in the league. Worse for fantasy owners, none were from 40-plus yards. Vinaieri has made more than 25 field goals only once since 2002 after doing so five times from 1996-2002. Still, he's the ninth-best fantasy kicker out there because the Colts will again be one of the league's leading scorers.

D: Indianapolis had 28 sacks and 42 turnovers last season. Add in the best scoring defense in the league and the Colts had a top-10 fantasy defense. The unit should be improved this season if defensive end Dwight Freeney and safety Bob Sanders stay healthy. Both returned to practice this week and should play Week 1. With them healthy, make the Colts the No. 6 fantasy defense.

One more thing: Yet another reason to load up on Colts receivers is that they play home games against Cincinnati and Detroit in weeks 14-15. The Bengals were 26th in pass defense last season, Detroit was 31st. And neither will be better this season. The Colts play a stingy Jacksonville defense in Week 16, but the Jaguars' strength is their run defense; their pass defense was 15th last season.    

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