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'. 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? Compare that to the likes of other first-round backs in Jonathan Taylor (3.6%), Dalvin Cook (2.7%), and Saquon Barkley (2.6%). 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. The most notable deletion from this list entirely is Saquon Barkley, who has lately seen injury derail his potential to be a generational talent, and McCaffrey is treading dangerously close to falling victim to the same dark entity. After showing out last year as a rookie, the former Memphis Tiger will look to take another step forward in what should be an improved Washington Football Team offense. While the ceilings not as high anymore, he should have the volume to be a borderline top-12 RB this year. 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. He is rushing for 78.3 yds on the ground per contest. Now both teams are just trying to be competitive every week. 47. . Taylor at No. But it is unclear who,. Ken Walker, SeahawksMelvin Gordon, BroncosJames Robinson, JaguarsJames Cook, BillsJ.D. Fournette averaged a career-high 18.3 fantasy points per game a season ago, and hell remain the top back in a Buccaneers offense that will score lots of points. 2022 STANDARD RANKINGS:QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers | Top 200| Superflex. RBs perform a little better than their average vs HOU, This is a 4 star matchup. Hes young, healthy, super-skilled, and has very little competition for touches both on the ground and through the air. Sloan Piva is a content producer at The Sporting News. While Taylor was dominant last season, Henry was arguably even better in 20. Tier 5 High RB2sNick Chubb, BrownsJames Conner, CardinalsEzekiel Elliott, Cowboys. Dobbins, RavensKareem Hunt, BrownsRashaad Penny, Seahawks. He's been able to not only produce at a high level, but to do so in an offense that features Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, which is a nod to just how productive he is when his number is called. For Barkley and McCaffrey, however, it's time to become what they once were, or be pushed aside entirely. Najee Harris was focused on preparing to handle the type of workload he experienced last season, when he led all rookies in touches. 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. Aug 31, 2022. 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. Dobbins is back healthy, but the Ravens love to use a committee approach, and we could see him sharing touches all season, especially when Gus Edwards returns. Even if his workload carrying the ball is not as high as others, he could see a significant enough target share to push for a top 24 finish at the position. Jonathan Taylor, Derrick Henry favorites for 2022 rushing title Kevin Hickey May 18, 2022 9:16 am ET During the second half of the 2021 regular season, Indianapolis Colts running back. Many Fantasy players prefer to not double-up on the QB/TE combo in the early rounds, and you can see the sacrifices you have to make in doing so by just looking at Jamey and I's teams next to each other. Furthermore, the former BYU star had 13 career rushing touchdowns entering the year. 6 or 7 -- and even then he's a risk. 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. Lets dive right into the top five candidates. If Jonathan Taylor were staring at me in the first round, I couldn't pass him up, but he might be the only one. Pierce, who looks like the Texans No. . 1 RB Jonathan Taylor IND 14 $39. Jonathan Taylor vs. Derrick Henry: Which top-tier fantasy RB should go No. Can't. We are predicting the Steelers go into Lucas Oil Stadium ad come away with the upset in a low-scoring, physical battle. Conner should get the first shot at major work, but Darrel Williams is looming to hamper his ceiling potentially. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings 3.. At 23, he sure seems like the best bet regardless of format. 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. Captain: RB Jonathan Taylor, Colts ($17,400) He's earning heavy volume, finding the end zone, and securing targets. Accept Draft Wizard My Playbook Premium Log. 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. Weve already seen Sanders saying he doesnt get enough usage this offseason. He also totaled at least 100 yards from scrimmage in. Moving forward, Harris is a dynasty running back who should keep the fantasy points coming in for years. Indys offensive line helped the young stud a great deal and should be strong again this year despite losing two starters. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts . Williams has top-five upside, but can he reach it with Melvin Gordon in the mix? Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City. 2 overall, and things mostly continued the way you expect for the next few picks, with one exception; Cooper Kupp kept falling. The biggest difference between Taylor and Henry, besides health and age lies in the passing game. No team will mortgage their short-term playoff success or long-term outlook by overusing a stud back coming off a major injury sustained less than one year ago. Hey, remember this guy? All Rights Reserved. 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. Kamara is truly lightning in a bottle and, without him, the Saints' offense wouldn't have been worth any conversation in 2021. Hate that Matt Canada is back. 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. 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. Please check your email for a confirmation. 99 TE Dawson Knox BUF 7 $7 . Picking Harris at No. 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. 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. Are you looking to contact Customer Support about a subscription or account related question? All Rights Reserved. 2022 CONSISTENCY RATINGS:Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end. Williams ceiling got lowered with the return of Melvin Gordon. Taylor also scored 20 all-purpose TDs last season, while Henry maxed out at 17 in 20 and 18 three years ago. 15 overall,. Fantasy managers looking for some late-round running backs should consider the likes of Ingram, White, Allgeier, Hilliard, Williams and Ingram, who could all see bigger roles if injuries occur to the starting running backs ahead of them. 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. Translation: They matter, and in a major way. 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. Rumor has it NFL running backs don't matter, but I suppose that logic depends upon which ones you're talking about, because they're not all created equal. Click here to confirm your accessLogin Now. Expectations are this will not be a direct split, but Gordon should still take enough of the pie to hurt Williams fantasy output. Already a premium subscriber? ADP. 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. If Henry is healthy, his volume pushes him to the top of this tier, but hes now 28 with a heavy volume history. Watch the NFL all season long with fuboTV. - Super Bowl VIEW ADVICE Start Over | Edit Players Summary Game Log Stats Projections Points Targets Notes Expert Voting Can't Decide? There are expectations he will take a bigger role in the passing game, but could losing goal-line work to AJ Dillon offset that? 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. All of this, and more, becomes deathly clear when attempting to identify the best in all of football at the position. Whether on the ground or through the air, JT has proven hes the most all-around dominant player at the position. He finished with a whopping 20 scores and 1,558 all-purpose yards. 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. Singletary and Gibson are both in intriguing situations. No matter what team build approach you choose, you're going to be making some kind of sacrifices. Luckily, Harris accomplished just that, earning a PFF grade over 88.1 in his final three seasons at Alabama. 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. Tier 7 Low RB2sChase Edmonds, DolphinsJosh Jacobs, RaidersDameon Pierce, TexansElijah Mitchell, 49ers. 2, get a good pair of noise-canceling headphones to block out the unlimited heckling your leaguemates will subject you with throughout the season. (Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) Round 1 1. You don't currently have any notifications. 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. 1 or No. This tier is an extremely difficult one to judge. Jonathan Taylor or Najee Harris | Who Should I Draft? Start Over | Edit Players Summary Game Log Stats Projections Points Targets Notes See if your team wins or loses with this trade. Tier 6 Mid RB2sTravis Etienne, JaguarsDavid Montgomery, BearsBreece Hall, JetsA.J. We are predicting the Steelers go into Lucas Oil Stadium ad come away with the upset in. 5. Hero RB Strategy & Targets: Jonathan Taylor, Christian McCaffrey, Najee Harris (2022 Fantasy Football) | FantasyPros Draft Wizard My Playbook Premium Log In NFL Home Tools In-Season My. To this point in his career, Harris has laced them up in 34 contests and has gained 2,238 yds on the ground. No, I'm a California resident looking for the California Consumer Privacy Act form. To see the full results of our draft, you can find it at this link. 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. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Jonathan Taylor Injury Update Taylor was diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain following Saturday's loss to the Vikings. 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. The short answer, of course, is that you cant really go wrong either way. He has carried the ball 272 times to the tune of 3.8 YPC. . That's a move you'll see a lot of this year, pairing upside with safety in that duo Derek Carr is another late-round QB target to consider pairing with Lance or Justin Fields. At No. The Colts gutted out their coaching staff at midseason and many Steelers fans think Pittsburgh should have done the same. Pittsburgh has clear issues at QB (moving from retired Big Ben Roethlisberger to either Mitchell Trubisky or Kenny Pickett) and offensive line (ranked the third-worst line by PFF). At 22, Taylor rushed for 552 yards more than the No. In his absence, Zack. 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. He's rushed for 33 touchdowns with the longest carry being for 62 yds. The Lions could re-sign the veteran running back in the offseason, especially if they don't trust Swift to stay healthy for an entire season. Finally looked healthy down 2022 stretch (was RB5 over last 10), could be huge rebound candidate. 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. So, you're probably thinking there is one or two honorable mentions (listed below) who deserve this spot over Jones, but if I agreed with you, they'd be in this spot. You can't place a vote until you make a selection first. If you like high risks with potential sky-high rewards, look no further. Najee Harris or Jonathan Taylor Who Should I Start? He did haul in 18-of-20 targets last season before getting hurt, but thats still a pretty small pre-injury sample size. Compare Najee Harris and Jonathan Taylor careers through the years of your choosing. CMC has played just 10 games total over the past two seasons. 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. Pollard should see enough touches to have stand alone value in Dallas. PRO CAREER. Jonathan Taylor is the better back but Najee Harris has shown steady improvement the last two weeks. 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. Hes running for 65.8 yds per contest and has crossed the goal line 14 times while carrying the ball. When hes on the field, hes still one of the very best dual-purpose backs in football. Like a bat out of the gates of hell, Taylor flies onto this 2022 list with flames dripping from his wings. Taylor and McCaffrey are a slight step ahead in this tier compared to Ekeler, but all are extremely close, especially in PPR. 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. However, he should see enough targets to mitigate efficiency concerns. Are you looking to contact Customer Support about a subscription or account related question? 11 RB Joe Mixon CIN 10 $27 . Pro Football Network strives to passionately deliver purposeful, captivating, and exceptional football content. Following him are many viable heroes to anchor your roster as an RB1. 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. Jamey's start to the draft worked out just about perfectly, making it just a little easier to make the tradeoffs he did at QB and TE. For a franchise that has always prided themselves on establishing the run, 2020 was abysmal. 1 RB in PPR and standard leagues. ? That's a pretty standard Hero-RB-ish build, which is my preferred strategy at this point. Everyone loves upside and potential steals, but there seems like way too much potential downside to grabbing CMC before No. No player in fantasy football has a higher ceiling if he can stay healthy. Hes rushed for 33 touchdowns with the longest carry being for 62 yds. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see Henderson start in Week 1. If he does get the trade he wants, then his value could skyrocket this offseason. Sometimes running backs have to do more with less, and no one knows this better than Mixon. McCaffrey averaged 26 fantasy points per game. 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. Henry is a cyborg, simply put, and can do it all -- from running around and through defenders with ease, to running past them with speed unnatural to his size, to catching the ball out of the backfield to throwing it. His streak of consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons ended at two, but 1,190 total yards with 10 touchdowns in 15 starts is nothing to shake a stick at. Kamara led all backs with a 20.2% target share last year. discount code "SPORTING" to become a RotoBaller subscriber. 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). Mattison, Williams and Gainwell are among the top options, and the latter two could have standalone flex value at times regardless. Mixon averaged 18 ppg last year, but there is talk of a further reduction in his third-down role, which limits his ceiling. That December, when the weather got colder and defenses started wearing down, he bumped up to 5.9 yards per carry. Damien Harris, PatriotsCam Akers, RamsMiles Sanders, EaglesDevin Singletary, BillsDarrell Henderson, Rams. 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. My highest-graded team was team 7, who took Jonathan Taylor in the first round and ended up with another potential RB1 in Rhamondre Stevenson, to go along with an elite bounce-back candidate in Mark Andrews. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers. Dillon saw an increase in usage down the stretch last season, especially in the red zone. Copyright 2010- FantasyPros.com Jonathan Taylor has accumulated 3,841 yds on the ground in 43 games played in his career. Those numbers put him top-five in both PPR and standard scoring last season. 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. 10, while FantasyPros grades Indys schedule as a three out of five. Taylor had the most elite skills, the gaudiest stats, the best health, and the highest usage last season. Its hard to go wrong with this group. Fantasy football draft season is upon us, and the predominant top-two picks in most standard drafts have been Jonathan Taylor and Derrick Henry. This week the 3-7 Pittsburgh Steelers go on the road to take on the 4-6-1 Indianapolis Colts. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts. Najee Harris and Jonathan Taylor are both underperforming this season but both backs are capable of taking over a game. Swift has big upside due to his receiving chops, but he needs to avoid nagging injuries to meet expectations. The problem is hes never finished a season with 20. And, it turned out to help Jamey more than anyone else, at least in my view. Are you looking to contact Customer Support about a subscription or account related question? Steelers 17, Colts 14, Sign up for the Steelers Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Last season, Taylor was the best running back in fantasy, averaging 22 PPR fantasy points per game (ppg). Check out the full list: Like we said this time last year, Henry will get the ball early and often, but he will really be turning on the afterburners as we get closer to fantasy playoff time. If you think he isnt elusive or breaking tackles youre crazy. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts 12. 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. Chubb should remain the pounder in the Browns offense, but hell lose touches to Kareem Hunt in a shared backfield. 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. He led the NFL in rushing yards (1,811), rushing touchdowns (18), yards from scrimmage (2,171), and total TDs (20). Christian McCaffrey, Najee Harris, . All Combine and Draft-Related Analysis, News, Video, and Biographical Information for Jonathan Taylor No running back was more dominant than Henry in the 2.5 seasons between 2019 and Week 8 of '21. When Taylor first returned from injury (Weeks 10-13) he ranked as the RB3 overall. Use discount code "SPORTING" to become a RotoBaller subscriber and get access to all their award-winning, game-changing tools, stats, and analysis. PFF ranks the Colts line No. : #MINvsIND on FOX With each reception counting for a point or even just a half-point, a strong three-down receiving back jumps way up in value. No surprises here, as Jonathan Taylor was the No. Injuries are an inevitable part of fantasy football, especially at running back. The Panthers recently traded for Baker Mayfield, so the Carolina offense could be in for some major positive regression this season. 2. At 5-10, 226 pounds, he might not have the size of the 6-3, 250-pound Henry, but he more than makes up for that with across-the-board skills, speed, hands, and volume. Brown) Mike Mike Mike Mike . I'm unquestionably stronger at TE, and while Lance has incredible upside, Mahomes has already done it. Harris will share work with Stevenson, but I like the latter's upside as a pass catcher in New England. 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. That gives him an automatic edge over Henry, a workhorse back who suffered an injury to one of his most vital body parts. . After scoring a combined 33 TDs through his 1st two seasons, Taylor scored just four rushing TDs in 2022. 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. Of course, nobody will call you a donkey for opting instead for King Henry. I side with . Mitchell is also expected to lead the backfield in San Francisco. Already a premium subscriber? Najee Harris Highlights (2020)alabama heisman running back college football jukes trucks hits 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. This has been a common theme over the course of his career and certainly during his 2,000-yard rushing season. Tier 3 Mid RB1sDalvin Cook, VikingsJoe Mixon, BengalsAlvin Kamara, SaintsD'Andre Swift, LionsLeonard Fournette, Buccaneers. Derrick HenryDalvin CookJoe MixonNajee HarrisLeonard FournetteDAndre SwiftAlvin Kamara. I like that the Panthers are already putting him in preseason bubble wrap to make sure hes full-go for Week 1. No, I'm a California resident looking for the California Consumer Privacy Act form. 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 | Najee Harris. Im projecting Foreman as the top handcuff for CMC, but Chuba Hubbard is also in the mix for the Panthers. You can see stats, bowl records, awards and more. 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. He was on pace for 90 catches and 1,906 scrimmage yards before the injury bug once again reared its ugly head. Here are the ones I trust when employing the Hero RB strategy. 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. 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. 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.