Has played in 34 regular-season games (34 starts) Has recorded 2,234 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns on 579 attempts and added 115 catches for 696 yards and six receiving touchdowns. . The first surprise came with the No. Williams ceiling got lowered with the return of Melvin Gordon. 1 RB Jonathan Taylor IND 14 $39. . Considering the extent of CMCs injuries have not resulted in major surgeries or completely torn ligaments, I like him bouncing back to form in 2022. 10 RB Najee Harris PIT 9 $29. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. (2021) | FantasyPros Jonathan Taylor or Najee Harris Who Should I Draft (Keeper / Dynasty)? The most important thing is his foot injury is . Jones is going to lose carries to A.J. Please check your email for a confirmation. The biggest difference between Taylor and Henry, besides health and age lies in the passing game. Drafted 2021 1.24 Exp 2. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City. 1 RB in PPR and standard leagues. Harris also improved drastically after the team's bye week operating as the RB7 in points per game over the last 9 weeks of the season. Edmonds is a similar story. Jonathan Taylor or Najee Harris | Who Should I Draft in Dynasty? But he should be the offensive focal point tonight. This game could come down to which rushing offense steps up.. Jonathan Taylor Injury Update Taylor was diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain following Saturday's loss to the Vikings. 1 in PPRs with just 30-40 catches. Henry was on pace to rush for over 1,990 yards last season before going down with an injured foot. Similarly, a back with elite pass-catching ability also has more opportunities to score TDs. Stevenson should split the workload with Damien Harris in New England, and Edwards-Helaire will share touches with Jerick McKinnon in what looks like a committee in Kansas City. Tier 6: Melvin Gordon, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kenneth Walker III, Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson, James Robinson, Rashaad Penny, Tier 7: Michael Carter, J.D. Flex: RB Najee Harris, Steelers ($9,400) Borderline: Javonte Williams, Saquon Barkley, Nick Chubb, James Conner, Antonio Gibson. Harris was not an efficient back last year, averaging just 3.8 yards per carry and 5.5 yards receiving behind one a weak offensive line. All of them will have more value in PPR formats, of course. Compare Najee Harris and Jonathan Taylor careers through the years of your choosing. It makes sense JT was the best RB last year, and King Henry dominated the previous two seasons before breaking a bone in his right foot last Halloween. Jonathan Taylor puts the @Colts ahead! Najee Harris Is A Very Talented Player To be a first-round pick, it is obviously imperative that you produce at a high level in college, especially at a position that isn't valued significantly. RB, Steelers. Taylor is the consensus No. Taylor played all 17 regular-season games in 21 and looked fine despite the massive usage. No quarterback targeted running backs more than new Colts quarterback Matt Ryan did in 2021 8.6 targets per game. Don't let the fact he battled through injury in 2021 throw you off of what is the glaringly obvious: Henry remains atop the mountain of best running backs in the NFL. Mattison, Williams and Gainwell are among the top options, and the latter two could have standalone flex value at times regardless. Use this breakdown of the top fantasy running backs to make smart draft decisions. Steelers 20, Buccaneers 18: Najee Harris wasn't overly impressive (with 49 total yards on 16 touches and a receiving TD), but consider the matchup. Taking a top-tier running back is still as important as ever, as they are simply harder to come by than solid wide receivers in PPR formats. He has run for 4 touchdowns this year with a long carry of 66 yds. The back-to-back rushing champ in 2019 and 20, Henry easily led the NFL in every major rushing stat category the last time we saw him play a full season. Lets dive right into the top five candidates. That gives him an automatic edge over Henry, a workhorse back who suffered an injury to one of his most vital body parts. Jonathan Taylor Nick Chubb Rhamondre Stevenson 1. Harris will see goal-line work, though, making him a low flex. But I'd expect a bounce-back effort from Taylor in 2023. King Henry could easily be the rushing champ again before his reign ends, but dont waste a top PPR pick on a volume-dependent back with little receiving pedigree less than nine months removed from a foot injury. $48 Jonathan Taylor ($50) $46 Christian McCaffrey ($41) . Mixon was a very good receiver out of the backfield in college, and in 2021, he will finally get more opportunities to display his pass-catching abilities. 5 overall in PPR drafts. Big plays have never been part of Harris' game and that doesn't . 1 PPR back. In his rookie season, Harris led the NFL with 381 touches, and his 1,667 scrimmage yards trailed only Taylor among RBs. (Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) Round 1 1. Both of these teams went into the 2022 season hoping to be competitive in their respective divisions. Hes rushed for 33 touchdowns with the longest carry being for 62 yds. He was well on his way last year, catching 18-of-20 targets, but a broken bone in his foot changed everything. tool, which they've made available to SN Fantasy readers forfree. Steelers' Najee Harris: Overcomes early fumble Rotowire Jan 8, 2023 Harris carried the ball 23 times for 84 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 28-14 win over the Browns. Dillon, but he should see more work as a pass catcher in a new-look Packers offense that no longer has Davante Adams. He also led the league in carries and was second to the Steelers' Najee Harris with . Those numbers put him top-five in both PPR and standard scoring last season. He has been placed on IR and won't return in 2022. You don't currently have any notifications, Get custom advice with our Draft Assistant. He had higher grades on Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor and LSU's Clyde Edwards-Helaire last year than the 2021 class. The tiers below are formed from a consensus ranking between PFNs Fantasy Football Director Ben Rolfe, Senior Fantasy Analyst Tommy Garrett, and Fantasy Analyst Jason Katz. That 126.7 per-game average trails just 10 players total throughout the history of the NFL. He's locked into massive volume behind one of the best run-blocking offensive lines in the league. 2022 CONSISTENCY RATINGS:Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end. It's easy to look at the success of the Bengals in 2021 and forget what it took for them to get there, which is to say what Mixon had to fight through to keep the team relevant and to ultimately still be around in Cincinnati for it. Michael Carter is a solid pass-catching RB, and the Jets could be throwing a lot in the second half this season. He finished with a whopping 20 scores and 1,558 all-purpose yards. He also totaled at least 100 yards from scrimmage in. 1 pick in standards and PPRs for many years running before he ran into myriad injuries the past couple seasons. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts 12. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see Henderson start in Week 1. Chubbs fantasy value in PPR is severely limited by his lack of targets in the past two years. 02 Mar 2023 21:32:29 Kamara is one of the halfbacks on this list who recently landed his bag, but it hasn't altered his approach to the game. He has a pre-athletic testing score of a 96.5 overall prospect score RBs who had a 90 or above in past years: Jonathan Taylor, Saquon Barkley, Breece Hall, Najee Harris, Travis Etienne, Derrick Henry, Zeke, Fournette. For all these reasons, he maintains an automatic edge over everyone else in this tier. You don't currently have any notifications, Get custom advice with our Draft Assistant. ADP. The case for Jonathan Taylor over Nick Chubb. Some might even suggest hes the third-best or fourth-best option in PPRs despite a limited pass-catching history. Najee Harris or Jonathan Taylor Who Should I Start? Are you looking to contact Customer Support about a subscription or account related question? What troubles us, though, is that Harris only averaged 6.3 yards per reception and 3.9 yards per carry. The hope is that new head coach Brian Daboll will be able to resurrect the Barkley we knew when he was a rookie. This game is going to come down to which team can run the football. Translation: They matter, and in a major way. Get insight into every teams' depth chart to see all the backups and sleepers you need to know with our 2022 RB . Tier 7 Low RB2sChase Edmonds, DolphinsJosh Jacobs, RaidersDameon Pierce, TexansElijah Mitchell, 49ers. Fantasy football draft season is upon us, and the predominant top-two picks in most standard drafts have been Jonathan Taylor and Derrick Henry. 11 RB Joe Mixon CIN 10 $27 . Alabama Running Back Najee Harris Career Alabama Highlights (so far)Najee Harris has all the qualities of being an incredibly entertaining running back to wa. Cook has been an elite fantasy back and he could see more chances as a pass catcher under new coach Kevin OConnell. Najee Harris. Were not talking PPR here that will be discussed a little further down this column but receiving yards still count for points in standard leagues. At just 23, he was the focal point of the Steelers' otherwise-dreadful. Elliott had a tough year in 2021, but hes still a talented back. 2022 FANTASY SLEEPERS:QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | One from each team. If the Steelers can improve their offensive line and Kenny Pickett takes a step forward in his second year, Harris should be a low-end RB1. Thats the reason hes not among my RB1s heading into drafts. window.PLAYERCARDS_CONFIG={affiliateCode:"fpros_cards"}; Copyright 2010- FantasyPros.com If youre like me, you look to handcuff your top runners in drafts. At the age of 23 (this season), Taylor should remain a fantasy star. And now, as Fields and Co. become acclimated to a new coaching staff, Montgomery will have to serve as the security blanket for the Bears' offense -- a role he's not entirely unfamiliar with -- providing impact as both a runner and a receiver. While 1.2 touchdowns per game over this stretch isn't sustainable, Taylor usually saw the field for 55-65% of the offensive snaps and handled the vast majority of the running back carries. At No. An immobile Ben Roethlisberger was a check-down target machine to Harris in 2021 which may not be the case in 2022. Colts RB Jonathan Taylor can be a dynasty building block. The problem is hes never finished a season with 20. Click here to confirm your accessLogin Now. Taylor and McCaffrey are a slight step ahead in this tier compared to Ekeler, but all are extremely close, especially in PPR. Taylors 2,171 yards from scrimmage in 21 bested Henrys total yardage from 20 by 30 yards thanks to JT netting 246 more receiving yards. PFF ranks the Colts line No. The Steelers were 28th in attempts (373), 32nd in yards (1,351), 30th in RB fantasy points per game via the run (12.94), and 30th in fantasy points per rush (0.56). How To Get Started, Tips, and More. Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers. Tier 12 Low HandcuffsDamien Williams, FalconsMark Ingram, SaintsZamir White, RaidersD'Onta Foreman, PanthersBrian Robinson, Jr., CommandersTyler Allgeier, FalconsDontrell Hilliard, TitansJoshua Kelley, Chargers. Jonathan Taylor Injury Update Taylor was diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain following Saturday's loss to the Vikings. Thats the main reason he has yet to make a Pro Bowl appearance or receive any high NFL honors. : #MINvsIND on FOX For while he hasn't cracked his way into the 1,000-yard rushing club as of yet, he's produced more than 1,500 yards from scrimmage in two of his last three seasons, and all he has to do now is remain healthy to see if the powder blue sky in Los Angeles is truly the limit. Alternatively, if you want to chat with our analysts, be sure to join our completely free Discord server. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers. All Rights Reserved. Health was an issue in 2022. Jamey stopped Kupp's slide with the eighth overall pick, and even with concerns about Matthew Stafford's elbow making headlines in training camp recently, I still think Kupp is the top WR on the board and should be a top-three pick in PPR leagues. Still, Ekelers injury history could make drafters squeamish. Already a premium subscriber? Given Henrys importance to the Titans offense and Tennessees shot at contending it would be somewhat surprising to see him garner another touch count in the 330-370 range. At No. Ranking NFL's top 10 RBs for 2022: Christian McCaffrey plummets with injury issues, Jonathan Taylor explodes. 2022 STANDARD RANKINGS:QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers | Top 200| Superflex. @ohthatsNajee22 headset Play Clip. Meanwhile, McCaffrey is the most prolific fantasy RB since LaDainian Tomlinson. Click here to confirm your accessLogin Now. If you draft either No. . I side with . All five of these running backs could finish the season in Tier 2, but for now theyre all being selected as mid-RB1s in most drafts. We are inching closer to the start of the 2022 NFL season, and with that were seeing an obvious increase in the number of fantasy drafts. 99 TE Dawson Knox BUF 7 $7 . There are expectations he will take a bigger role in the passing game, but could losing goal-line work to AJ Dillon offset that? 6 or 7 -- and even then he's a risk. While the ceilings not as high anymore, he should have the volume to be a borderline top-12 RB this year. He's also coming off a season where he scored just six times. Should the Steelers undergo an offensive surge in Kenny Pickett's second season, Harris could easily get back into the top-tier fantasy RB tier. Jones has a huge variation in his ranking among our analysts. As you can see, Jamey waited on tight end and quarterback, ending up with intriguing breakout candidates in Kmet and Lance, plus a steady, borderline top-12 QB in Cousins in case Lance busts. That said, there are enough obvious risks here to preclude Ekeler from going ahead of Taylor. At 23, he sure seems like the best bet regardless of format. Of course, taking a TE and QB early means I've got Allen Robinson as a somewhat weak WR2, with the hope that he breaks out in his new offense. Kamara led all backs with a 20.2% target share last year. That makes it more important than ever to put your players into positional tiers. Unlike my regular player rankings, which you can also find on Sports Illustrated, tiers group players of similar value together. It's a powerful aesthetic that translates very well on the field, and it feels like Ekeler is just getting started. The short answer, of course, is that you cant really go wrong either way. We are predicting the Steelers go into Lucas Oil Stadium ad come away with the upset in. The following 10 players have proven to be in a league of their own, in one way or several. Fact is, while Jones took a step back in production in 2021, he's still every bit the dominant back he was when he delivered more than 3,000 yards from scrimmage and 30 touchdowns for the Packers in the two previous seasons. Mixon averaged 18 ppg last year, but there is talk of a further reduction in his third-down role, which limits his ceiling. The debate is largely over whether he can stay healthy and remain efficient at this stage in his career. You can see stats, bowl records, awards and more. However, his usage metrics were still very strong across the board. That left me with Taylor as my pick at No. Meanwhile, you should not underestimate the value of Patterson in PPR formats. Only Jonathan Taylor of the Colts had more carries (332) than Harris (307) last season, and the Steelers sophomore is expected to carry a heavy workload again in 2022. Taylor is a threat to take it the distance from anywhere on the field, and has shown to be much better at catching passes than most had thought when he was coming into the league.