T.Y.

Hilton

Hilton hasn’t played since 2022, so this is a bit of a formality. Still, he deserves a proper retirement blurb. Hilton spent all but one of his 11 seasons with the Colts. His final season came in Dallas and amounted to just 121 yards on seven grabs. He amassed 638 grabs for 9,812 yards and 53 touchdowns during his career. The speedy wideout peaked at an NFL-leading 1,448 yards in 2016. He was also a successful punt and kick returner early in his career.

A deep receiver on a team that couldn’t throw deep because of the ferocity of the pass rush, Hilton ended his Cowboys days much like he ended his Colts days. He made it to a 7/121/0 regular season line in three games, adding three playoff catches for 38 yards in two games. Hilton, 33, nearly retired this offseason and is extremely likely to stay on the sidelines for most of 2023 as he hits unrestricted free agency.

Hilton still hasn’t separated himself as the Cowboys’ third receiver. Versus the Bucs, he again split time with Noah Brown. Until Dallas settles on a single player as their third pass-catcher, neither Hilton nor Brown will be viable fantasy options.

After posting a 4/50 line in last week’s win over the Titans, Hilton reverted back to the form of a 33-year-old receiver who missed almost all of the regular season. Dallas signed Hilton back in mid-December to add depth to its passing game, but the veteran receiver has managed just seven receptions for 121 yards in three games. Hilton is good for a big play at any given moment, but he’s far from the difference-maker Dallas was hoping for when they signed him.

Washington, who missed most of the regular season with a foot injury, was active for two games and did not record a reception. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said T.Y. Hilton’s emergence as a WR3 option for Dallas made the team comfortable with waiving Washington. Hilton in Week 17 against the Titans had four catches for 50 yards. Washington, 26, will surely land elsewhere in 2023.

Three of Hilton’s four receptions came on key third-down catches, situations that made up the bulk of the veteran’s snaps against the Titans. Hilton is an interesting name to keep an eye on for playoff contests as a player attached to a top offense, particularly in best ball formats - an injury to a primary pass-catcher ahead of him on the depth chart could provide the opportunity he needs to be fantasy relevant.

Hilton will have to wait to make his Cowboys debut. The Cowboys will have a 3WR set of CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, and Noah Brown against the Jaguars. Given how the Jaguars have defended the pass this year, that should be more than enough firepower for Dak Prescott to have a big game.

After weeks of courting Odell Beckham Jr., the Cowboys unexpectedly signed Hilton, 33, to a deal for some added depth ahead of the playoffs. While the signing of OBJ remains a possibility, it’s Hilton who will get the first crack at providing additional help to Dallas’ 20th-ranked passing attack. It will be interesting to see just how much help Hilton can provide, as the veteran receiver is coming off a 2021 season in which he appeared in just nine games while posting a 23-331-3 line and a career-low 1.48 YPRR. Having played 64 percent of his snaps outside, Hilton could lineup wide on three-receiver sets, with CeeDee Lamb’s versatility allowing him to play more from the slot. There’s no reason to rush to add Hilton to your fantasy rosters, as he’s unlikely to offer any immediate contribution.

In April, Ballard said Hilton -- entering his age-33 season -- “can still play” and contribute in the Colts offense. Hilton hasn’t cracked 800 receiving yards since 2018. If he returns to the Colts, he’ll be a deep ball specialist while Michael Pittman operates as Matt Ryan’s unquestioned WR1. Hilton wouldn’t have fantasy value unless the Colts suffered a string of wideout injuries.

The Colts lost Zach Pascal in free agency and haven’t re-signed T.Y. Hilton yet. The depth chart as a whole is rather inexperienced, as Ashton Dulin is the only backup wideout on the roster that returns with more than 10 catches last season. Oft-injured Parris Campbell is slotted in as the third receiver. The Colts would be a team that makes plenty of sense in the Will Fuller/Jarvis Landry/Julio Jones discussion if Hilton ultimately doesn’t return. Alternately, they could just start Pierce right away, which would put him on the fantasy radar.