Perhaps Jonathan Taylor has lost a step after enduring a heavy workload last season. J.K. DobbinsCordarrelle PattersonElijah MitchellChase EdmondsMiles SandersTony PollardDevin SingletaryKareem HuntAntonio Gibson. Taylor had the most elite skills, the gaudiest stats, the best health, and the highest usage last season. #ForTheShoe @JayT23. Copyright 2010- FantasyPros.com Hey, remember this guy? Indianapolis starts veteran Matt Ryan at quarterback who has never beaten the Steelers in three tries. 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. The most important thing is his foot injury is . Jonathan Taylor Injury Update Taylor was diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain following Saturday's loss to the Vikings. Kamara led all backs with a 20.2% target share last year. Yet, we have limited knowledge of what this offense will look like or how Kamara will be utilized following Sean Paytons retirement. You will rarely see Ekeler being taken above the other two, but if you have the third selection in drafts, hes a strong player to start your draft with. All of them will have more value in PPR formats, of course. Andrew Erickson, I have seen Najee Harris slander on the timeline in recent weeks. Jonathan Taylor vs. Derrick Henry: Which top-tier fantasy RB should go No. Ultimate Jonathan Taylor Highlights - YouTube Harris will share work with Stevenson, but I like the latter's upside as a pass catcher in New England. Hes being drafted as a low RB2 or flex in most leagues. However, it still makes sense because you must be rigid with only selecting the running backs who can anchor the RB1 spot while maintaining flexibility within the first two rounds to avoid missing elite receivers. 1 overall pick, as Eric Young took Christian McCaffrey instead of Jonathan Taylor a pick I've been advocating for the entire offseason, so maybe we're going to see it a bit more often over the final month of drafts. Even before he got hurt last season, Henry was averaging fewer yards per carry (4.3 to JTs 5.5) and yards per catch (8.6 to 9.0). 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. After playing just a 70% snap share once in 2020, Jonathan Taylor surpassed that number in nine contests in 2021, including eight weeks during the teams last eight games. Borderline: Javonte Williams, Saquon Barkley, Nick Chubb, James Conner, Antonio Gibson. As such, he's cascaded from near the top of this mountain to the valley below, and needs to prove himself in a major way in 2022. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts 12. Taylor was not the same running back as 2021, he missed 5 games with injuries and struggled on a team that had QB issues and fired their head coach early in the year. Christian McCaffrey, Najee Harris, . Jones has a huge variation in his ranking among our analysts. His individual potential is massive, but his actual fantasy ceiling at least for now seems capped at No. 1 pick in our first mock draft of 2022. 2022 FANTASY SLEEPERS:QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | One from each team. In September of 20, he averaged a mere 3.9 yards per carry. 2021 Fantasy Football Outlook: Jonathan Taylor | Last Word on NFL It feels like forever ago when everyone was wondering if Cook would live up to his potential. If anything, it simply makes you wonder just how much more destructive he'd be if he was the only option out of the Browns' backfield. Both teams are looking to establish the run, keep the game simple and let their defenses do their jobs. 1 WR in this particular draft. Taylor also scored 59.3 more fantasy points on the season than the second-best fantasy RB, Austin Ekeler. McCaffrey has hovered around a 90-percent catch rate over the past two seasons, and he averaged 4.5 yards per carry and 9.0 yards per catch over seven games last year. Edmonds' stock is on the rise after the Dolphins released Sony Michel. 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. That left me with Taylor as my pick at No. The fact the Colts laid an egg in a win-and-get-in against the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars last season was much more attributable to the ghastly play of the now-traded (again) Carson Wentz and not Taylor, who was the heart and soul of the team's offense the entire season. Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings: Najee Harris inside the Top 5 Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers 14. Henry was on pace to rush for over 1,990 yards last season before going down with an injured foot. Jonathan Taylor Draft and Combine Prospect Profile | NFL.com I side with . He scored 10 touchdowns last season and averaged 4.4 yards per touch last season. 3. That December, when the weather got colder and defenses started wearing down, he bumped up to 5.9 yards per carry. Derrick HenryDalvin CookJoe MixonNajee HarrisLeonard FournetteDAndre SwiftAlvin Kamara. 2, get a good pair of noise-canceling headphones to block out the unlimited heckling your leaguemates will subject you with throughout the season. Cuff options: Jonathan Taylor, Jordan Wilkins, Marlon Mack Review: The Colts' line is among the best when healthy, and early injuries worries have been somewhat abated. That said, there are enough obvious risks here to preclude Ekeler from going ahead of Taylor. Ekeler finished second with 343.8 PPR points in 2021. I took Mark Andrews with the second pick of the third round, only because Josh Allen was taken a pick before me I'm a firm believer in taking an early QB this season, though if it's not Allen around the second/third-round turn, my preference is to wait a little longer for the next tier. ADP. The ultimate Jonathan Taylor 2019 HighlightsA two-time Doak Walker Award winner and two-time unanimous first-team All-American, Taylor will go down as one of. Matt Brandon Oct 6th 5:45 PM EDT. Resigned to the fact that this team just doesnt have it. By Gene Clemons. In standard leagues, these two are the creme de la creme. Saquon BarkleyAaron JonesJavonte WilliamsNick ChubbEzekiel ElliottJames Conner. Dillon led the Packers in carries and rushing yards and figures to see a bigger role in 2022, but Jones will limit him to mid to low RB2 value. While Taylor was dominant last season, Henry was arguably even better in 20. 1 pick, Commanders rip 'blatantly false' team sale report, Richardson logs colossal measurements at combine, Top QB in draft has one team he doesn't want to play for. Luckily, Harris accomplished just that, earning a PFF grade over 88.1 in his final three seasons at Alabama. Meanwhile, McCaffrey is the most prolific fantasy RB since LaDainian Tomlinson. Harris is a true workhorse who should continue to deliver the mail for coach Mike Tomlin in his second season. 2021 Fantasy Football: Week 8 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em, Picks - PressBox Hes young, healthy, super-skilled, and has very little competition for touches both on the ground and through the air. Despite his current ADP ranking below those of both Najee Harris and Jonathan Taylor, Gibson arguably presents the most upside of the three backs this season. Najee Harris - Best RB in College Football - YouTube His average yards per carry sits at 5.1 and he has toted the ball 756 times. Hes younger, healthier, and has a better offensive line. Here are the ones I trust when employing the Hero RB strategy. 10 RB Najee Harris PIT 9 $29. 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. Taylor is running for 89.3 yds on the ground per game so far in his career. Mitchell is also expected to lead the backfield in San Francisco. How does Taylor do it? Moving forward, Harris is a dynasty running back who should keep the fantasy points coming in for years. Barkley has high RB1 potential, but hes failed to meet expectations the past few years. Use discount code "SPORTING" to become a RotoBaller subscriber and get access to all their award-winning, game-changing tools, stats, and analysis. The following 10 players have proven to be in a league of their own, in one way or several. Hes rushed for 33 touchdowns with the longest carry being for 62 yds. Etienne is a popular breakout candidate, but will James Robinsons return slow his rocket ship to stardom? 36 catches) as Indianapolis heads into the bye week, although Pittsburgh's Najee Harris (274 . NFL Preview Preview Week 10 Running Back Rankings for Fantasy Football: Nick Chubb, Travis Etienne, Jonathan Taylor, Najee Harris After a flurry of running back injuries early in the. Kamara appears to be safe from an NFL suspension, at least for 2022, so his value is rising. 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). 2022 Fantasy Football Draft Prep: Cooper Kupp, Najee Harris fall The 27-year-old played just 10 games in 20 and has been dinged up countless times throughout his three prior years as a pro. The Titans have a better schedule ranked a four out of five but a much worse offensive line. His longest run this season is 36 yds. He caught just 19-of-31 targets in 2019 and averaged only six yards per reception. Hero RB is receiver-centric. Chubbs fantasy value in PPR is severely limited by his lack of targets in the past two years. 2 rusher last season (Nick Chubb) and over 600 yards more than Joe Mixon at No. Hunt will continue to see work in Cleveland behind Chubb in a Browns offense that will be run heavy until Deshaun Watson returns. 1 standard RB, hes also the No. McCaffrey lost time to hamstring and left-ankle injuries last year after suffering from a right high-ankle sprain, shoulder, and thigh injuries in '20. What troubles us, though, is that Harris only averaged 6.3 yards per reception and 3.9 yards per carry. According to our friends at FantasyPros, Henry has a current ADP of No. Those numbers put him top-five in both PPR and standard scoring last season. In 2021, Taylor enjoyed a massive breakout. Najee Harris vs Jonathan Taylor College Comparison Jonathan Taylor is 'hottest back in the NFL,' feels good despite leading league in touches . 2023 ABG-SI LLC. Despite having massive needs all over their . If you draft either of these players, you should almost certainly draft their handcuffs (Chuba Hubbard/D'Onta Foreman for McCaffrey and Alexander Mattison). His sheer all-purpose yardage numbers and TD volume make him a cant-miss pick, especially considering his age (23) and his health (he played all 17 games last season). Already a premium subscriber? The Chargers let Melvin Gordon walk because of their belief in Ekeler, and it was well-founded. Brown traded away to the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2022 NFL Draft, the Titans will depend more than ever on Henry, which isn't exactly a stretch when considering that's mostly what they've been doing to this point in his career anyway; as evidenced by his 2,141-yard season (!!) RB, Steelers. The first surprise came with the No. Hes carried the ball 579 different times for an average of 3.9 YPC. Can't. Steelers vs Colts: 3 storylines this week If Henry is healthy, his volume pushes him to the top of this tier, but hes now 28 with a heavy volume history. The Dawg-turned-Dawg has been a dynamo since landing in Cleveland by way of Georgia, being the steady hand for a roller coaster of a ride with former first overall pick Baker Mayfield and, in the absences of Mayfield due to injury, whomever else took the QB reins in the moment. Dillon saw an increase in usage down the stretch last season, especially in the red zone. No, I'm a California resident looking for the California Consumer Privacy Act form. The former Volunteer is continually volunteering to punch defenses in their mouths, but with what can only be described as an electric finesse. Jonathan Taylor puts the @Colts ahead! However, Elliott is still expected to take the majority of carries, limiting Pollards upside. RBs perform a little better than their average vs HOU, This is a 4 star matchup. 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. If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. Both of these teams went into the 2022 season hoping to be competitive in their respective divisions. Steelers vs Colts: Cast your vote for the winner Switch in coaches has put Colts RB Jonathan Taylor in Steelers McCaffrey averaged 26 fantasy points per game. Harris was inefficient but was utilized heavily in the run and passing game, which should remain. Harris tallied 954 yards rushing, 219 yards receiving, and 9 TDs in the fantasy season. 1 running back for Week 9. 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. Running back rankings for 2022 dynasty fantasy football leagues . Indeed, thats where the true question marks begin: who is the second-best PPR option in fantasy football? This tier is an extremely difficult one to judge. For when it comes to assessing the best in the NFL at the position, you're hard-pressed to keep that argument going, knowing full well not everyone can do what they do, when/if given the chance. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City. Hes strong but stable and can fight through contact. Taylor is the consensus No. Montgomery could easily see one of the biggest workloads in the entire league, but the Bears offense is among the worst in the NFL, limiting his ceiling. Combined with 40-reception upside, Taylor is a locked-in first-round RB in fantasy football drafts. Translation: They matter, and in a major way. Lets dive right into the top five candidates. That appears set to be the same situation this year, plus Jalen Hurts should take touches out of that backfield. And though his numbers took a slight dip from his 1,900-yard (from scrimmage) season in 2020, he was still able to mount a third consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season and averaged less than 11 yards per game shy of a 100-yard per game average. There are a number of ways to value players when deciding who to draft for fantasy football, but utilizing tiers has become a more common approach in the last 10 years. Harris has also proven he's very good as a runner after initial contact and has. Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. The Pittsburgh Steelers running back took a slight step backward in his second season, falling to RB14 in points per game after a top-5 fantasy season as a rookie. Jonathan Taylor or Najee Harris | Who Should I Draft? (2022 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. The others on this list are all talented, but workload questions are prevalent. Henry was on pace to rush for over 1,990 yards last season before going down with an injured foot. The Colts celebrates Jonathan Taylor's touchdown against the Steelers on Dec. 27, 2020, at Heinz Field. Fantasy Football Week 7: Start and Sit - The San Diego Union-Tribune McKissic, James Cook, Darrell Henderson, Alexander Mattison, Nyheim Hines, Tier 8:Jamaal Williams, Kenneth Gainwell, Isaiah Spiller, Mark Ingram, Darrel Williams, Rachaad White, Khalil Herbert, Brian Robinson, Gus Edwards, Tyler Allgeier, Marlon Mack, Tier 9:DOnta Foreman, Zamir White, Raheem Mostert, Isiah Pacheco, Dontrell Hilliard, Boston Scott, Samaje Perine, Kenyan Drake, Sony Michel, Hassan Haskins, Rex Burkhead, Matt Breida, Ronald Jones, Tyrion Davis-Price, Jerick McKinnon, Chuba Hubbard, Jeff Wilson, Tier 10: Chris Evans, Pierre Strong Jr., Giovani Bernard, Damien Williams, KeShawn Vaughn, DErnest Johnson, Myles Gaskin, Mike Davis, Tevin Coleman, Trey Sermon, Duke Johnson, Demetric Felton Jr., Eno Benjamin, Dynasty Rookie Sleepers 2023: Fantasy Targets Include Israel Abanikanda, Puka Nacua, and Nathaniel Dell, 2023 Dynasty Rookie RB Rankings: Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Devon Achane, and Others, 2023 Dynasty Rookie WR Rankings: Quentin Johnston, Jordan Addison, Rashee Rice, and More, Dynasty Fantasy Football Startup Draft Strategies, What is Dynasty Fantasy Football? Najee Harris: The Workhorse RB You Shouldn't Overthink 1 RB in standard leagues. His 1,811 rushing yards led the entire league, and his 20 total touchdowns was good enough to tie Austin Ekeler for first among all players. Mitchell could be a 1,000-yard back in San Francisco, but durability issues and the emergence of Trey Sermon in camp make him a risk-reward No. While Taylor proved his ability as a pass catcher out of the backfield last season, it remains to be seen if Henry will ever truly materialize as a stud receiving back. But it is unclear who,. Our ESPN draft analysts all selected Harris as the top running back, with Kiper . Finally looked healthy down 2022 stretch (was RB5 over last 10), could be huge rebound candidate. If he can do all of that on a bum knee, imagine what he can do on two good ones, as was the case early on last season. Aug 31, 2022. Tier 11 High HandcuffsRaheem Mostert, DolphinsAlexander Mattison, VikingsJamaal Williams, LionsKenneth Gainwell, EaglesIsaih Pacheco, Chiefs Khalil Herbert, BearsRex Burkhead, TexansRachaad White, Buccaneers. Najee Harris was the first running back drafted in the 2021 NFL Draft and he should be the first rookie drafted in 2021 redraft leagues, as early as the second round. Taylor, who finished second in the NFL behind only Pittsburgh's Najee Harris is forced missed tackles per touch with 76 last season, somehow finished outside of the top 10 at No. From our Start/Sit Assistant which provides your optimal lineup based on accurate consensus projections to our Waiver Wire Assistant which allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and by how much weve got you covered this fantasy football season. Im projecting Foreman as the top handcuff for CMC, but Chuba Hubbard is also in the mix for the Panthers. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. Harris carried the ball 23 times for 84 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 28-14 win over the Browns. 2, well go with Harris by a nose-hair over Ekeler just because of volume and injury history. He has more rushing touchdowns than Jonathan Taylor, Najee Harris, and James Conner combined. And his good luck continued in the second round, as Najee Harris tumbled to the 17th overall pick - nearly a round later than his 6.84 ADP in NFC drafts, though over the past week, Harris'. When Taylor first returned from injury (Weeks 10-13) he ranked as the RB3 overall. Lets dive deeper into the debate of whether you should draft Taylor or Henry at No. Najee Harris, on the other hand, enters the NFL at 23 years-old and is already an established pass-protector. Like a bat out of the gates of hell, Taylor flies onto this 2022 list with flames dripping from his wings. Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers, RB - CBSSports.com You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram for your late-breaking fantasy news and the best analysis in the business! An immobile Ben Roethlisberger was a check-down target machine to Harris in 2021 which may not be the case in 2022. And his good luck continued in the second round, as Najee Harris tumbled to the 17th overall pick nearly a round later than his 6.84 ADP in NFC drafts, though over the past week, Harris' price has fallen to 8.41, so it might not be as outlandish as it seems. While the ceilings not as high anymore, he should have the volume to be a borderline top-12 RB this year. Hes running for 65.8 yds per contest and has crossed the goal line 14 times while carrying the ball. The Panthers recently traded for Baker Mayfield, so the Carolina offense could be in for some major positive regression this season. At 22, Taylor rushed for 552 yards more than the No. He's now amassed more than 3,700 yards from scrimmage and 24 touchdowns in his three years with the team, and he's done it in spite of abysmal quarterback play that led to the Bears using a first-round pick on Justin Fields. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nfl | pageType: stories | Taylor Made (Jonathan Taylor) Hot Chubb Time Machine (Nick Chubb) Best fantasy team names for top wide receivers. 2022 Fantasy Football Running Back Shuffle Up: Jonathan Taylor reigns The former two-time NFL rushing champ was off to a blazing start to the 2021 season that saw him as fast, quick and decisive as he's ever been, but he was slowed by injury in the back half of the season that made many forget what he was doing prior to that point. Gainwell could even push Sanders for touches, and Mostert would see more work if Edmonds were to go down, but he's clearly in the top two in Miami's backfield rotation. 8 pick. With both expected to be ready for Week 1 in 2022, many fantasy owners have been wrestling with the decision of which top-tier RB to choose if they land the No. He played in four games in 2021 with at least a 50% snap share and his PPR fantasy finishes were RB1, RB3, RB4 and RB3. Scariest RB in College Football | Najee Harris Alabama Highlights You don't currently have any notifications, See if your team wins or loses with this trade View Trade Analyzer. 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. tool, which they've made available to SN Fantasy readers forfree. The case for Jonathan Taylor over Nick Chubb. I agree to receive the "Pick Six Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. He was a top-5 runner last season before suffering a knee injury that had him running in quicksand in the second half. Singletary and Gibson are both in intriguing situations. He was on pace for 90 catches and 1,906 scrimmage yards before the injury bug once again reared its ugly head. Pierce, who looks like the Texans No. All Combine and Draft-Related Analysis, News, Video, and Biographical Information for Jonathan Taylor 2022 CONSISTENCY RATINGS:Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end. And he does all of his damage in the most buttoned-up manner possible, reminiscent of how Barry Sanders used to operate. How do PFN's fantasy football RB tiers for 2022 shape up as fantasy managers head into their drafts over the coming weeks? Taylor missed six games this year and finished under 5.0 yards per rush (4.5) for the first time in his 3-year career. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. Quite simply, he combined superior talent with opportunity. Brown) Mike Mike Mike Mike . SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. At just 23, he was the focal point of the Steelers otherwise-dreadful offense, garnering 307 rushing attempts (second) and 94 targets (tied for first among all RBs). 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. Hes so utterly dominant on the ground that he could finish No. We must consider much more than just sheer rushing ability when ranking backs in PPR leagues. Facebook; Twitter; . At 23, he sure seems like the best bet regardless of format. 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. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. We also expect Jacobs to have a significant number of touches, but Kenyan Drake and Zamir White could just eat in enough to dampen his ceiling.