2, well go with Harris by a nose-hair over Ekeler just because of volume and injury history. 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 . Hey, remember this guy? The hope is that new head coach Brian Daboll will be able to resurrect the Barkley we knew when he was a rookie. 2. 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. Akers is already dealing with preseason injuries, and he struggled for explosiveness after returning from an Achilles injury. Cook has been an elite fantasy back and he could see more chances as a pass catcher under new coach Kevin OConnell. No surprises here, as Jonathan Taylor was the No. Christian McCaffrey, Najee Harris, . It feels like forever ago when everyone was wondering if Cook would live up to his potential. Brown (A.J. Already a premium subscriber? 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 | Jonathan Taylor is 'hottest back in the NFL,' feels good despite leading league in touches . 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. 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 | Steelers 17, Colts 14, Sign up for the Steelers Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. He added one catch for 10 . All Rights Reserved. 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. ? Fantasy football draft season is upon us, and the predominant top-two picks in most standard drafts have been Jonathan Taylor and Derrick Henry. Gibsons value appears to be on the decline after a preseason fumble. #ForTheShoe @JayT23. You can see stats, bowl records, National Championship appearances, awards and more. Hes averaged just 21.5 targets per season under Stefanskis play-calling. Kamara led all backs with a 20.2% target share last year. Harris still operated as a pseudo-workhorse ranking 6th in opportunity share (70%) and 8th in total touches through the first 17 weeks of the season. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City. At No. He scored 10 touchdowns last season and averaged 4.4 yards per touch last season. 10 RB Najee Harris PIT 9 $29. 11 RB Joe Mixon CIN 10 $27 . Harris finished with 1,200 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Najee Harris, on the other hand, enters the NFL at 23 years-old and is already an established pass-protector. 1 in PPRs with just 30-40 catches. While Taylor was dominant last season, Henry was arguably even better in 20. No quarterback targeted running backs more than new Colts quarterback Matt Ryan did in 2021 8.6 targets per game. 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. That said, there are enough obvious risks here to preclude Ekeler from going ahead of Taylor. PFF ranks the Colts line No. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. At just 23, he was the focal point of the Steelers' otherwise-dreadful. He finished with a whopping 20 scores and 1,558 all-purpose yards. Pollard carries increased value in a PPR format, especially with injuries to the Cowboys RB group. In 2021, Taylor enjoyed a massive breakout. 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. This game is going to come down to which team can run the football. If he does get the trade he wants, then his value could skyrocket this offseason. Harris topped 20 rushing attempts for the third time in his. First running back in franchise history to rush for at least 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons in the NFL. College Alabama. Pro Football Network, LLC. 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. Dillon, Packers. Pairing Taylors elite red-zone usage with his ascending role as a receiver 11th in routes run and sixth in route participation in 2021 makes him worthy of the 1.01 pick across all fantasy formats. Ranking NFL's top 10 RBs for 2022: Christian McCaffrey plummets with injury issues, Jonathan Taylor explodes. Najee Harris, PIT ADP 8.08. 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. Ekeler will likely see touchdown regression, but hes a dual-threat back with a high points-per-touch average who plays in an explosive Chargers offense. There's no guarantee any of those players would've come back to me if I passed in the fourth and fifth Jalen Hurts and Kyler Murray were also drafted before my next pick in the sixth but one thing I've been trying to remind myself of during my mock drafts this year is that, while I think the evidence suggests early-round QBs are worth the investment, most of the people who talk about Fantasy Football for a living still view waiting at QB to be the optimal approach. Already a premium subscriber? Jonathan Taylor Injury Update Taylor was diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain following Saturday's loss to the Vikings. For Barkley and McCaffrey, however, it's time to become what they once were, or be pushed aside entirely. CMC has played just 10 games total over the past two seasons. Taylor is running for 89.3 yds on the ground per game so far in his career. Already a premium subscriber? 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. Indys offensive line helped the young stud a great deal and should be strong again this year despite losing two starters. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK, Austin Ekeler, ChargersNajee Harris, SteelersDerrick Henry, Titans. Alternatively, if you want to chat with our analysts, be sure to join our completely free Discord server. Resigned to the fact that this team just doesnt have it. Taylor has accumulated 861 yds carrying the ball in 11 games played this year. The following 10 players have proven to be in a league of their own, in one way or several. No, I'm a California resident looking for the California Consumer Privacy Act form. Najee Harris' fantasy outlook for 2021. And despite all of his total raw touches, Harris only saw 37 touches (22nd) in the red zone and scored six red-zone touchdowns. Compare Saquon Barkley and Jonathan Taylor careers through the years of your choosing. 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. 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. When Taylor first returned from injury (Weeks 10-13) he ranked as the RB3 overall. Now both teams are just trying to be competitive every week. That left me with Taylor as my pick at No. Harris will see goal-line work, though, making him a low flex. Copyright 2010- FantasyPros.com 10, while FantasyPros grades Indys schedule as a three out of five. However, his usage metrics were still very strong across the board. 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. 1 running back for Week 9. 1 overall, Chris Towers had his eye on upside and highest ceiling overall 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. Jonathan Taylor Nick Chubb Rhamondre Stevenson 1. Tier 11 High HandcuffsRaheem Mostert, DolphinsAlexander Mattison, VikingsJamaal Williams, LionsKenneth Gainwell, EaglesIsaih Pacheco, Chiefs Khalil Herbert, BearsRex Burkhead, TexansRachaad White, Buccaneers. window.PLAYERCARDS_CONFIG={affiliateCode:"fpros_cards"}; Copyright 2010- FantasyPros.com Singletary and Gibson are both in intriguing situations. Taylor and McCaffrey are a slight step ahead in this tier compared to Ekeler, but all are extremely close, especially in PPR. Borderline: Javonte Williams, Saquon Barkley, Nick Chubb, James Conner, Antonio Gibson. Jonathan Taylor underperformed as the RB30 in 11 games averaging 12.6 fantasy points as the RB18 when healthy. Expectations are this will not be a direct split, but Gordon should still take enough of the pie to hurt Williams fantasy output. Chubb should remain the pounder in the Browns offense, but hell lose touches to Kareem Hunt in a shared backfield. All Rights Reserved. Both teams are looking to establish the run, keep the game simple and let their defenses do their jobs. 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 . (Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) Round 1 1. And he does all of his damage in the most buttoned-up manner possible, reminiscent of how Barry Sanders used to operate. Start Over | Edit Players Summary Game Log Stats Projections Points Targets Notes See if your team wins or loses with this trade. Elliott is ranked at his lowest point since he entered the NFL, but that could make him a bargain in drafts. Get insight into every teams' depth chart to see all the backups and sleepers you need to know with our 2022 RB . 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. Having battled injury early in his promising career, he's since overcome that dark cloud -- mostly -- and become everything the Vikings could have hoped for. Still, the issue with Harris pertains to his true upside potential in a potentially capped offense led by a rookie quarterback. His average yds per carry is currently at 4.5 and he has carried it 192 different times this year. 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. 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. 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. We are predicting the Steelers go into Lucas Oil Stadium ad come away with the upset in a low-scoring, physical battle. Andrew Erickson, I have seen Najee Harris slander on the timeline in recent weeks. 3. Hell be a top-five pick. 8 pick. 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. Taylor at No. 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. 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. 1 standard RB, hes also the No. 2 overall seems like a damn good option, and it's tough to blame anyone who ranks Pittsburghs back over Ekeler. 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. Jones is going to lose carries to A.J. Mattison, Williams and Gainwell are among the top options, and the latter two could have standalone flex value at times regardless. 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. And, it turned out to help Jamey more than anyone else, at least in my view. 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. This game could come down to which rushing offense steps up.. 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. With each reception counting for a point or even just a half-point, a strong three-down receiving back jumps way up in value. However, health concerns combined with talented players around him limits his ceiling.