Translation: They matter, and in a major way. 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. 2022 STANDARD RANKINGS:QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers | Top 200| Superflex. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Cook had a tough season in 2021 and does not have the best history in terms of health. 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 played in four games in 2021 with at least a 50% snap share and his PPR fantasy finishes were RB1, RB3, RB4 and RB3. Meanwhile, you should not underestimate the value of Patterson in PPR formats. 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). Elliott had a tough year in 2021, but hes still a talented back. Still, the issue with Harris pertains to his true upside potential in a potentially capped offense led by a rookie quarterback. Calvin Ridley, WR, Atlanta Falcons 15. Najee Harris' fantasy outlook for 2021. The Panthers recently traded for Baker Mayfield, so the Carolina offense could be in for some major positive regression this season. It feels like forever ago when everyone was wondering if Cook would live up to his potential. Taylors 42 carries inside the 10-yard line were 12 more than the next-closest back (Damien Harris, 30). Similarly, a back with elite pass-catching ability also has more opportunities to score TDs. 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. Tier 3 Mid RB1sDalvin Cook, VikingsJoe Mixon, BengalsAlvin Kamara, SaintsD'Andre Swift, LionsLeonard Fournette, Buccaneers. Christian McCaffrey, Najee Harris,Damien Harris,James Conner,Josh Jacobs. 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. He's rushed for 33 touchdowns with the longest carry being for 62 yds. When hes on the field, hes still one of the very best dual-purpose backs in football. 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. Kamara is truly lightning in a bottle and, without him, the Saints' offense wouldn't have been worth any conversation in 2021. Henry was on pace to rush for over 1,990 yards last season before going down with an injured foot. Kamara led all backs with a 20.2% target share last year. 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. Jonathan Taylor suffered an injury on the opening drive of Saturday's game after catching a short pass and running for 13 yards. 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. 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. 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. Flex: RB Najee Harris, Steelers ($9,400) He has more rushing touchdowns than Jonathan Taylor, Najee Harris, and James Conner combined. No matter what team build approach you choose, you're going to be making some kind of sacrifices. That's a pretty standard Hero-RB-ish build, which is my preferred strategy at this point. Most Fantasy Football drafts tend to follow a relatively similar pattern, especially early on. 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. window.PLAYERCARDS_CONFIG={affiliateCode:"fpros_cards"}; Copyright 2010- FantasyPros.com . J.K. DobbinsCordarrelle PattersonElijah MitchellChase EdmondsMiles SandersTony PollardDevin SingletaryKareem HuntAntonio Gibson. And, as things often go in these industry leagues, I probably could've waited longer than I did I went with Patrick Mahomes with the 11th pick of the fourth round, but Justin Herbert and Lamar Jackson weren't drafted until the next round. . His average yds per carry is currently at 4.5 and he has carried it 192 different times this year. - Super Bowl VIEW ADVICE Start Over | Edit Players Summary Game Log Stats Projections Points Targets Notes Expert Voting Can't Decide? Bijan Robinson is the number 1 rated RB - no surprise there. DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2022 fantasy cheat sheet. Picking Harris at No. This has been a common theme over the course of his career and certainly during his 2,000-yard rushing season. 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. Jacobs was the RB12 a season ago, but the selection of rookie Zamir White and a potential committee has caused his stock to decline a bit. Coming off of last weeks loss to the Bengals, the Steelers team seems defeated. Saquon BarkleyAaron JonesJavonte WilliamsNick ChubbEzekiel ElliottJames Conner. He enters his . For any redraft strategy, a manager must maintain fluid rigidity. Yes, its an oxymoron. Perhaps Jonathan Taylor has lost a step after enduring a heavy workload last season. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. McKissic, Cook, Hines and Carter will no doubt be used as a pass catcher for their their respective teams. Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Here are the ones I trust when employing the Hero RB strategy. Najee Harris or Jonathan Taylor Who Should I Start? What troubles us, though, is that Harris only averaged 6.3 yards per reception and 3.9 yards per carry. While the ceilings not as high anymore, he should have the volume to be a borderline top-12 RB this year. Fournette is set to be a three-down back for the Buccaneers in 2022, but there are growing concerns around the strength of Tampa Bays offensive line. 6 or 7 -- and even then he's a risk. $42 Najee Harris ($39) $39 Derrick Henry ($37) I understand the McCaffrey supporters who would take him first overall. Of course, the elephant in the room is going to be health. CMC has played just 10 games total over the past two seasons. Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers. section: | slug: 2022-fantasy-football-draft-prep-cooper-kupp-najee-harris-fall-unexpectedly-in-flex-league-12-team-ppr-draft | sport: football | route: article_single_fantasy | 3. 2023 was a year to forget for the consensus 1.01 in fantasy football drafts. That elite goal-line usage helped separate Taylor from the pack as the bonafide No. This game could come down to which rushing offense steps up.. The Titans have a better schedule ranked a four out of five but a much worse offensive line. 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. That said, there are enough obvious risks here to preclude Ekeler from going ahead of Taylor. Najee Harris. Of course, nobody will call you a donkey for opting instead for King Henry. All Rights Reserved. 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. Luckily, Harris accomplished just that, earning a PFF grade over 88.1 in his final three seasons at Alabama. 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. Im projecting Foreman as the top handcuff for CMC, but Chuba Hubbard is also in the mix for the Panthers. 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. He led the NFL in rushing yards (1,811), rushing touchdowns (18), yards from scrimmage (2,171), and total TDs (20). Jonathan Taylor is the better back but Najee Harris has shown steady improvement the last two weeks. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 1 running back in fantasy football. Hes locked into massive volume behind one of the best run-blocking offensive lines in the league. However, health concerns combined with talented players around him limits his ceiling. Already a premium subscriber? 2022 CONSISTENCY RATINGS:Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end. This tier spans just over 10 spots in our overall PPR rankings. Tier 6: Melvin Gordon, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kenneth Walker III, Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson, James Robinson, Rashaad Penny, Tier 7: Michael Carter, J.D. 2. If youre like me, you look to handcuff your top runners in drafts. How does Taylor do it? Kamara appears to be safe from an NFL suspension, at least for 2022, so his value is rising. Accept Draft Wizard My Playbook Premium Log. Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. The following 10 players have proven to be in a league of their own, in one way or several. Singletary looks like the leader in the Bills backfield, making him a viable middle-round flex starter. Michael Carter is a solid pass-catching RB, and the Jets could be throwing a lot in the second half this season. section: | slug: ranking-nfls-top-10-rbs-for-2022-christian-mccaffrey-plummets-with-injury-concerns-jonathan-taylor-soars | sport: football | route: article_single.us | 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. That left me with Taylor as my pick at No. Etienne is also returning from major injury, and James Robinson is still expected to play a significant role in the Jaguars backfield. 5 overall in PPR drafts. 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 saw an increase in usage down the stretch last season, especially in the red zone. He had higher grades on Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor and LSU's Clyde Edwards-Helaire last year than the 2021 class. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. Jonathan Taylor is the alpha and omega, stunning the world if he is not the 1.01 in any 1QB league. 3. Taylor has accumulated 861 yds carrying the ball in 11 games played this year. Given JTs clean bill of health and the fact that hes 23 he sure seems like the better bet than a 28-year-old Henry coming off a major injury. 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. Name Team; Name Team; Jonathan Taylor: IND: Najee Harris: PIT: D'Andre Swift: DET: Christian McCaffrey: CAR: Javonte Williams: DEN: Breece Hall: NYJ: Austin . The most important thing is his foot injury is . Tier 6 Mid RB2sTravis Etienne, JaguarsDavid Montgomery, BearsBreece Hall, JetsA.J. Jonathan Taylor Injury Update Taylor was diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain following Saturday's loss to the Vikings. 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.