Player Profile: Devin Funchess

Last season, with Frank Reich at head coach and a finally healthy Andrew Luck, the Indianapolis Colts offense started to hum once again. The team finished 10–6, earned a playoff slot and actually advanced to the Divisional Round.

And they did it all without a reliably consistent WR 2. This off-season, it made sense the Colts would try to pick up a piece or two to bolster their offense. Enter Devin Funchess, the former Carolina Panther receiver, who signed a one year deal worth $10 million. It’s a chance for the Colts to see what he can be, and for Funchess to prove his worth in a high-profile offense.

The question for fantasy owners is what they can expect. So let’s take a look.

Funchess Career So Far

Funchess entered the league as a second round pick by the Panthers in the 2015 draft. He played his college ball for the Michigan Wolverines, and really flashed during his junior year before entering the draft. In three years he tallied 126 receptions for 1,715 yards and 15 TDs. But as a freshman and sophomore, he played tight end for the Wolverines.

As a junior, Funchess slid over to receiver. During the 11 games played that year, he tallied a career high 62 receptions for 733 yards and four TDs. And that was enough to make him a second round pick for the Panthers, a team desperate for offensive weapons.

Funchess played four seasons for the Panthers, tallying 161 receptions for 2,233 yards and 21 TDs. He really came on as a significant contributor during his third and fourth year with the team. In his third year, the 2017 season, Funchess started all 16 games, tallying 111 targets for 63 receptions, 840 yards and a career high eight TDs. In 2018, Funchess was limited to 14 games and 12 starts, and took a bit of a step back, with just 79 targets and 44 receptions for 549 yards and four TDs.

The Panthers swooned at the end of the season, and Cam Newton’s health wasn’t good. The question is whether Funchess can thrive in a more high-octane offense, and his one year deal with the Colts ensures he’ll be motivated to prove his worth prior to next off-season.

The 2018 Colts

Last season was the first for Reich as a head coach in Indianapolis, and beginning the year the big question was if franchise QB Luck would be back to the form that made him one of the most celebrated passers in the game prior to injury. Turned out he was.

Luck ended the year starting all 16 games, and he completed 67 percent of his passes for 4,593 yards and 39 TDs against just 15 interceptions. And he did it despite top TE Jack Doyle missing most of the season and the Colts failing to find a solid WR2.

The top of the receiving chart for the Colts is TY Hilton, who will still lead the group in 2019. Last season, Hilton 76 receptions for 1,270 yards and six TDs. Eric Ebron, who signed before the 2018 season, meanwhile was a TD machine at tight end. He grabbed 66 passes for 750 yards and 13 TDs. While those two are back, and Doyle figures to be healthy, there is still room in this offense for some production.

Last year Ryan Grant, Chester Rogers, Dontrelle Inman and Zach Pascal all had at least 39 targets at WR. The quartet combined for 143 receptions, 1,391 yards and eight TDs. The most stand out of these was Rogers, who started 10 games, played all 16 and had 72 targets, fourth most on the team. He turned that into 53 receptions for 485 yards and two TDs. Grant, meanwhile, who signed as a free agent prior to the season grabbed just 35 passes for 334 yards and a touchdown on 52 targets, starting 10 games as well. While Rogers and Pascal are still on the roster, along with past draft fliers Deon Cain and Daurice Fountain, the Colts have an opening for solid WR production behind Hilton.

Funchess Primary Competition

Given his signing and the terms of his contract, including a $7 million bonus and just $3 million in salary, it figures that Funchess will be given every chance to earn a starting slot. But his main competition isn’t the receivers already on the roster from previous seasons but the one the Colts went and snagged in the 2019 draft — Parris Campbell out of Ohio State.

Campbell played four years at Ohio State at receiver, grabbing 143 passes for 1,768 yards and 15 TDs. But he was really a late bloomer, doing most of his damage during an incredibly potent senior year. As a senior, he caught 90 passes (50 more than his previous high of 40 as a junior) for 1,063 yards and 12 TDs. And his draft landing spot, the high-powered Colts, made him one of the most highly sought after rookie receivers, something dynasty owners have already seen in rookie drafts.

It makes sense that Funchess and Campbell will have the best chance for a meaningful role opposite Hilton in the Indy offense. But so far, drafters seem to be somewhat split about who is the better option. Funchess ADP right now is 154 overall, and WR55 in PPR, while Campbell sits at an ADP of 116 overall, WR47 in PPR.

Whoever gets a meaningful role in the Colts’ offense will provide some value, and right now Funchess is the one you can get at more of a discount in drafts. With rookie hype rising, that figures to continue to improve as we get closer to Training Camp. Given his draft location and the possibility in this offense, I think Funchess is worth a flier, particularly late. You just have to hope you don’t end up with the second coming for Ryan Grant.