How Pittsburgh's offense responded after Najee Harris' exit. . Taylor was so potent in his destruction of opposing defenses that he remained in the MVP conversation throughout and landed Offensive Player of the Year honors, having racked up 1,811 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns while adding 360 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns to his stat line. He has phenomenal vision, burst, and cutting ability. Besides Taylor, Ekeler was the only other back to average 21.0 PPR points between Week 1 and Week 17 last season. 2, get a good pair of noise-canceling headphones to block out the unlimited heckling your leaguemates will subject you with throughout the season. But he should be the offensive focal point tonight. I side with . Jonathan Taylor is 'hottest back in the NFL,' feels good despite leading league in touches . 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. All of them will have more value in PPR formats, of course. 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. Copyright 2019-2023. Be sure to check out our full RB PPR rankings and RB tiers before you draft! 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. 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. Already a premium subscriber? Since the age of running backs really isnt a factor in redraft, more of them are viable to be your Hero RB. Taylor's carried the rock 20-plus times in both games since Jeff Saturday took over as interim head coach, but the offense might have more success through the air this week as Taylor could be. 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). 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. Saquon BarkleyAaron JonesJavonte WilliamsNick ChubbEzekiel ElliottJames Conner. 2 rusher last season (Nick Chubb) and over 600 yards more than Joe Mixon at No. Etienne is a popular breakout candidate, but will James Robinsons return slow his rocket ship to stardom? No running back was more dominant than Henry in the 2.5 seasons between 2019 and Week 8 of '21. Mattison, Williams and Gainwell are among the top options, and the latter two could have standalone flex value at times regardless. 1 PPR back. 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. This game is going to come down to which team can run the football. . Taylors 42 carries inside the 10-yard line were 12 more than the next-closest back (Damien Harris, 30). Penny, who popped at the end of last season, is the favorite to start in Seattle, but can he avoid injuries? Last season, he was 27th in snaps at just 49% amongst RBs a number that will undoubtedly increase in 2021. McKissic, CommandersNyheim Hines, ColtsMichael Carter, Jets. All Rights Reserved. Furthermore, the former BYU star had 13 career rushing touchdowns entering the year. 02 Mar 2023 21:32:29 Jonathan Taylor Nick Chubb Rhamondre Stevenson 1. 36 catches) as Indianapolis heads into the bye week, although Pittsburgh's Najee Harris (274 . Tier 11 High HandcuffsRaheem Mostert, DolphinsAlexander Mattison, VikingsJamaal Williams, LionsKenneth Gainwell, EaglesIsaih Pacheco, Chiefs Khalil Herbert, BearsRex Burkhead, TexansRachaad White, Buccaneers. That's saying the least, by the way, because Mixon broke the 1,500 yards from scrimmage mark for the first time in a career dominated by consistency, and his needle continues to point due north. Williams ceiling got lowered with the return of Melvin Gordon. 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. I'm unquestionably stronger at TE, and while Lance has incredible upside, Mahomes has already done it. Tier 8 High RB3s/FlexTony Pollard, CowboysRhamondre Stevenson, PatriotsClyde Edwards-Helaire, ChiefsAntonio Gibson, CommandersCordarrelle Patterson, FalconsJ.K. He is rushing for 78.3 yds on the ground per contest. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram for your late-breaking fantasy news and the best analysis in the business! . Jonathan Taylor started to take the lion's share of the Colts' backfield touches in Week 5 and from that point forward he averaged 26.1 PPR points per game. If you like high risks with potential sky-high rewards, look no further. Taylor netted 5.5 yards per carry last season, tying Chubb for the most efficient average of backs with 120 or more rushing attempts. That 126.7 per-game average trails just 10 players total throughout the history of the NFL. He has run for 4 touchdowns this year with a long carry of 66 yds. Taylor at No. Harris will share work with Stevenson, but I like the latter's upside as a pass catcher in New England. If he does get the trade he wants, then his value could skyrocket this offseason. That appears set to be the same situation this year, plus Jalen Hurts should take touches out of that backfield. 2. Eddie George vs Herschel Walker vs J.K. Dobbins vs Jahmyr Gibbs vs LaDainian Tomlinson vs Leonard Fournette vs Mark Ingram vs Najee Harris vs Ricky Williams vs Rodney Anderson vs Tony Dorsett vs Travis . For a franchise that has always prided themselves on establishing the run, 2020 was abysmal. Start free trial today. No surprises here, as Jonathan Taylor was the No. He finished with a whopping 20 scores and 1,558 all-purpose yards. This week the 3-7 Pittsburgh Steelers go on the road to take on the 4-6-1 Indianapolis Colts. JT's usage was that of a top-8 running back - 8th in expected points per game, 4th in touches per game (20) - but a lack of touchdowns decimated his fantasy stock in the Colts' anemic offense. Last season, Taylor was the best running back in fantasy, averaging 22 PPR fantasy points per game (ppg). Harris tallied 954 yards rushing, 219 yards receiving, and 9 TDs in the fantasy season. Hunt is a good back, but as long as he is in Cleveland and playing a complementary role to Chubb, his ceiling will always be capped. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: fantasynews | arena: nfl | pageType: stories | He also added 467 receiving yards and three touchdowns through the air. Akers is already dealing with preseason injuries, and he struggled for explosiveness after returning from an Achilles injury. Any one of this quartet could push into Tier 3, but each comes with risk, too. Hate that Matt Canada is back. And, even though the Cowboys should have shut him down for a few games to rest what was later revealed as a torn PCL in his knee, he was still able to play through the ailment en route to another 1,000-yard season (1,289 yards from scrimmage) with 12 total touchdowns. Austin Ekeler, D'Andre Swift, and Dalvin Cook all went ahead of Kupp, but then so did Justin Jefferson, making him, not Kupp, the No. 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. Taylor is the consensus No. Fantasy football draft season is upon us, and the predominant top-two picks in most standard drafts have been Jonathan Taylor and Derrick Henry. He did haul in 18-of-20 targets last season before getting hurt, but thats still a pretty small pre-injury sample size. Najee Harris and Jonathan Taylor are both underperforming this season but both backs are capable of taking over a game. Finally looked healthy down 2022 stretch (was RB5 over last 10), could be huge rebound candidate. While Taylor was dominant last season, Henry was arguably even better in 20. Can't. Taylor also led the NFL in red-zone touches (92), which was not that surprising considering he ranked fifth in that category as a rookie. If there is any running back that could potentially de-throne Derrick Henry as the poster child for the volume is king mantra, its Najee Harris. 3:21 pm ET, a pick I've been advocating for the entire offseason, still think Kupp is the top WR on the board, I'm a firm believer in taking an early QB this season, evidence suggests early-round QBs are worth the investment, Quentin Johnston: Rookie scouting profile. College Alabama. Aug 31, 2022. DOB Mar 9, 1998 Age 24.9. Hes strong but stable and can fight through contact. Tier 2 - High RB1s. I like that the Panthers are already putting him in preseason bubble wrap to make sure hes full-go for Week 1. Hes easily one of the best receiving backs in football, as evidenced by his 70 receptions for 647 yards and eight TDs through the air. However, with Jones still expected to be a major part of the backfield in Green Bay, Dillons opportunity to be a top-15 running back is severely hampered. Fantasy football running back tiers: Ranking the best RBs from Jonathan Taylor to Saquon Barkley and more. 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. Even with Tony Pollard in the mix, I can still see Zeke having a productive 2022 campaign in the stat sheets. 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. 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. However, he's got a stronger WR2 in Michael Pittman and RB2 in David Montgomery to make up for the gap there. He caught just 19-of-31 targets in 2019 and averaged only six yards per reception. The volume he is going to see in 2022 will ensure he is one of the safest running backs available in fantasy football. Etienne is also returning from major injury, and James Robinson is still expected to play a significant role in the Jaguars backfield. The FLEX League draft I took part in Saturday with CBS Sports' Jamey Eisenberg and 10 other analysts from around the industry was one draft that featured some pretty surprising early results. 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. Najee Harris UPDATE: Najee Harris (hip) practiced fully Thursday and doesn't carry an injury designation ahead of Saturday night's game against the Raiders. In standard leagues, these two are the creme de la creme. According to our friends at FantasyPros, Henry has a current ADP of No. McCaffrey was the consensus No. 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. They have each been complete busts through four weeks of the NFL season. Kamara, who has looked great in camp, should be a top-10 fantasy runner as long as he isnt faced with an in-season suspension for an off-field issue. Still, I think Jamey made out quite nicely with those two players falling coming off a championship in this league where he had Jonathan Taylor fall to the second round because of injuries to his quarterback and starting center around the time of the draft. Our ESPN draft analysts all selected Harris as the top running back, with Kiper . Additionally, as it relates to who belongs in the top 10, there's also something to be said for having skins on the wall, and while some of the promising up-and-comers -- one in particular notwithstanding (scroll down) -- have a lot to look forward to, they simply haven't also been producing for as long as Jones has. Taylor had the most elite skills, the gaudiest stats, the best health, and the highest usage last season. Ek could also be due for some touchdown regression his previous career high for TDs in a season was 11 in '19, a year in which he also scored eight receiving TDs. 2022 STANDARD RANKINGS:QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers | Top 200| Superflex. Hunt will continue to see work in Cleveland behind Chubb in a Browns offense that will be run heavy until Deshaun Watson returns. Now both teams are just trying to be competitive every week. ADP. Im projecting Foreman as the top handcuff for CMC, but Chuba Hubbard is also in the mix for the Panthers. Already a premium subscriber? Captain: RB Jonathan Taylor, Colts ($17,400) He's earning heavy volume, finding the end zone, and securing targets. The Chargers let Melvin Gordon walk because of their belief in Ekeler, and it was well-founded. Harris finished with 1,200 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Among rushers w/ 125 or ^ rushing attempts (per @FTNData), 76.5% of his rushing yds have come after contact pic.twitter.com/uxFU4uiSPy, Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) January 13, 2022, Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio. Name Team; Name Team; Jonathan Taylor: IND: Najee Harris: PIT: D'Andre Swift: DET: Christian McCaffrey: CAR: Javonte Williams: DEN: Breece Hall: NYJ: Austin . Meanwhile, McCaffrey is the most prolific fantasy RB since LaDainian Tomlinson. Tier 12 Low HandcuffsDamien Williams, FalconsMark Ingram, SaintsZamir White, RaidersD'Onta Foreman, PanthersBrian Robinson, Jr., CommandersTyler Allgeier, FalconsDontrell Hilliard, TitansJoshua Kelley, Chargers. CMC has played just 10 total games over the past two seasons, while Cook has never played more than 14 games. He also took Kupp in the fourth round of that one, and he very well could end up with a similarly productive duo this time around. Jonathan Taylor is the better back but Najee Harris has shown steady improvement the last two weeks. He enters his . Christian McCaffrey, Najee Harris,Damien Harris,James Conner,Josh Jacobs. He rarely coughs up the rock, posting just five total fumbles over his first 640 touches. Running back rankings for 2022 dynasty fantasy football leagues . Alternatively, if you want to chat with our analysts, be sure to join our completely free Discord server. If Jonathan Taylor were staring at me in the first round, I couldn't pass him up, but he might be the only one. Jonathan Taylor is the better back but Najee Harris has shown steady improvement the last two weeks. And he's primed for positive TD regression entering the final year of his rookie deal. (2021) | FantasyPros Jonathan Taylor or Najee Harris Who Should I Draft (Keeper / Dynasty)? When healthy, hes easily the best player in all of fantasy football. That left me with Taylor as my pick at No. Prior to the drafting of Joe Burrow and then Ja'Marr Chase, it was Mixon literally carrying the load for the Bengals' offense, and he was still able to be a key reason for their special 2021 season despite it morphing into the Burrow-Chase show. You can see stats, bowl records, National Championship appearances, awards and more. Jonathan Taylor Injury Update Taylor was diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain following Saturday's loss to the Vikings. Christian McCaffrey, Najee Harris, . Harris hauled in 74 receptions last season, leading all RBs by four. His average yards per carry sits at 5.1 and he has toted the ball 756 times. Walker's (hernia) status for Week 1 is in question, but he's still very draftable as a No. Because the Steelers did not practice on Tuesday, they issued an estimated injury report, and Harris (hip) was listed as a limited participant. Hes locked into massive volume behind one of the best run-blocking offensive lines in the league. In his rookie season, Harris led the NFL with 381 touches, and his 1,667 scrimmage yards trailed only Taylor among RBs. Lets examine our updated consensus tiers as managers enter their 2022 fantasy drafts. Will we see him back to his old self in 2022? The Chargers have a top-12 offensive line according to PFF and a top-five offense according to 21 stats (scoring and yardage), so the fantasy goodness should carry over to 22 as long as Professor Ek stays healthy. 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. You don't currently have any notifications, See if your team wins or loses with this trade View Trade Analyzer. Brian Robinson was already expected to play a significant role, potentially around the goal line, and if Gibson cannot hold onto the ball, hell potentially see his touches limited early. 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. 2 RB Austin Ekeler LAC 8 $35 . No, I'm a California resident looking for the California Consumer Privacy Act form. Taylor is running for 89.3 yds on the ground per game so far in his career. ? Click here to confirm your accessLogin Now. 4 back with upside. 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. He was a top-5 runner last season before suffering a knee injury that had him running in quicksand in the second half. Copyright 2010- FantasyPros.com 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. If tiers are not your thing, then we also have our 2022 RB rankings available in list form, Additionally, if you want more information on the players listed below, then be sure to check out PFNs fantasy analysts Tommy Garrett and Jason Katz discussing all things fantasy football on the PFN Premier Fantasy Football Podcast. Harris was inefficient but was utilized heavily in the run and passing game, which should remain. He's also coming off a season where he scored just six times. That's a pretty standard Hero-RB-ish build, which is my preferred strategy at this point. 1 pick. 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. Jonathan Taylor or Najee Harris | Who Should I Draft? We should expect something closer to his 332 rush, 1811 rushing yards, 18 TD season in the next few years. We are predicting the Steelers go into Lucas Oil Stadium ad come away with the upset in. The RB5 last season, Conner will likely experience touchdown regression even though his role in Arizona projects to increase a bit without Chase Edmonds. Henry was on pace to rush for over 1,990 yards last season before going down with an injured foot. Brown (A.J. Are you looking to contact Customer Support about a subscription or account related question? First running back in franchise history to rush for at least 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons in the NFL. This tier is an extremely difficult one to judge. Kamara is one of the halfbacks on this list who recently landed his bag, but it hasn't altered his approach to the game. However, Elliott is still expected to take the majority of carries, limiting Pollards upside. Jones has a huge variation in his ranking among our analysts. I went the opposite direction, locking in more guaranteed high-end production with my tight end and quarterback. Najee Harris definitely has upside in this offense, but other players being drafted around the same time as Harris, such as Jonathan Taylor and Saquon Barkley, definitely bring more. That elite goal-line usage helped separate Taylor from the pack as the bonafide No. His average yds per carry is currently at 4.5 and he has carried it 192 different times this year. Cook had a tough season in 2021 and does not have the best history in terms of health. Matt RYa should only improve the stud RBs chances to duplicate his dominant run from a season ago. 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. So, if you miss out on a particular player you can see others on his tier. Running Backs: Derrick Henry, Austin Ekeler, Alvin Kamara, Ezekiel Elliott, Jonathan Taylor, Najee Harris, Cordarrelle Patterson, D'Andre Swift, Nick Chubb, James Robinson, Kareem Hunt, Darrell . The goal is to roster as many top receivers as possible along with a top running back. RBs perform a little better than their average vs CLE, The Good Old Boys Fantasy Football Podcast, No, I'm a California resident looking for the California Consumer Privacy Act form, Finally looked healthy down 2022 stretch, could be huge rebound candidate.