With the absence of Colts RB Joseph Addai, rookie Donald Brown's fantasy value rises. (Michael Conroy / Associated Press)

There might not have been a bigger disappointment in fantasy football last season than Colts RB Joseph Addai.

A surefire first-round selection, Addai produced more like a late-round flier with 544 rushing yards in 12 games. Fantasy leaguers would have been better off drafting his backup, Dominic Rhodes, who scored 24 more fantasy points on NFL.com.

Last week is was revealed that Addai is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery.

While reports indicate he will be back in time for training camp, Addai’s absence from OTAs opens the door for rookie Donald Brown to strut his stuff for the coaches.

The Indianapolis Star reported Thursday that Brown has shown “shiftiness and possesses great acceleration through the line of scrimmage,” though his skills as a pass catcher still need some work.

Barring setbacks, it would be a shock if Addai didn’t retain the top spot on the depth chart heading into the regular season. But Brown has a lot of time between then and now to make an impression, so a backfield committee is imminent.

That’s not necessarily a statistical death sentence for Addai. Remember, he finished 10th in fantasy points on NFL.com during his rookie season despite seeing just 52 percent of the team’s carries.

I’d consider Addai in the third or fourth round as a No. 2 fantasy back, with Brown coming off the board in the middle rounds as a must-have handcuff and potential sleeper candidate.

Speaking of the Colts, it looks like Pierre Garcon has the inside track on the No. 3 wide receiver spot. He’s had a solid offseason and has moved ahead of Austin Collie and Roy Hall in the competition to replace Anthony Gonzalez, who has moved into a starting spot.

Garcon might not be worth drafting right now, but he’s a player to watch. In an offense led by Peyton Manning, even the third receiver can be a fantasy asset.

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