In his rookie season, Harris led the NFL with 381 touches, and his 1,667 scrimmage yards trailed only Taylor among RBs. The most important thing is his foot injury is . And with Matt Ryan now replacing Wentz, it's likely Taylor might terrorize the NFL yet again in 2022. However, his usage metrics were still very strong across the board. That gives him an automatic edge over Henry, a workhorse back who suffered an injury to one of his most vital body parts. discount code "SPORTING" to become a RotoBaller subscriber. So, if you miss out on a particular player you can see others on his tier. All Rights Reserved. Running back rankings for 2022 dynasty fantasy football leagues . 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). It's a powerful aesthetic that translates very well on the field, and it feels like Ekeler is just getting started. Both teams are looking to establish the run, keep the game simple and let their defenses do their jobs. . I like that the Panthers are already putting him in preseason bubble wrap to make sure hes full-go for Week 1. 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. This is a 4 star matchup. Considering the extent of CMCs injuries have not resulted in major surgeries or completely torn ligaments, I like him bouncing back to form in 2022. By Gene Clemons. 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. If youre like me, you look to handcuff your top runners in drafts. This game could come down to which rushing offense steps up.. Kamara appears to be safe from an NFL suspension, at least for 2022, so his value is rising. His longest run this season is 36 yds. Are you looking to contact Customer Support about a subscription or account related question? The problem is hes never finished a season with 20. Edmonds is a similar story. Hey, remember this guy? And he's primed for positive TD regression entering the final year of his rookie deal. When healthy, hes easily the best player in all of fantasy football. Barkley has high RB1 potential, but hes failed to meet expectations the past few years. Meanwhile, McCaffrey is the most prolific fantasy RB since LaDainian Tomlinson. Are you looking to contact Customer Support about a subscription or account related question? Thats the main reason he has yet to make a Pro Bowl appearance or receive any high NFL honors. Cincy's line is still shaky, but the . 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. How does Taylor do it? However, Elliott is still expected to take the majority of carries, limiting Pollards upside. Akers is already dealing with preseason injuries, and he struggled for explosiveness after returning from an Achilles injury. 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. 11 RB Joe Mixon CIN 10 $27 . It is virtually impossible to take Chubb down on first contact, or second, and if he gets into the open field -- it's good night, Nancy. NFL combine QB measurements: Bryce Young's size, more, NFL free agency: Ranking top 25 defensive free agents, 2023 season lookahead: Storylines, odds, teams to watch, NFL free agency 2023: Top 25 players available, NFL free agency 2023: Team-by-team offseason primer, 2023 NFL offseason and free agency: Top FAs, team needs, Ranking NFL's top 10 running backs for 2022, Mock Draft: Panthers, Colts trade up for QBs, Rodgers' trade value, logistics, best fit, Pascal robbed at gunpoint, assaulted; WR 'doing fine', Bryce Young measures similar to former No. @ohthatsNajee22 headset Play Clip. Everyone loves upside and potential steals, but there seems like way too much potential downside to grabbing CMC before No. No, I'm a California resident looking for the California Consumer Privacy Act form. 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. Andrew Erickson, After weekly for no fluke injuries: pic.twitter.com/DLw3CZlFW6. Jonathan Taylor suffered an injury on the opening drive of Saturday's game after catching a short pass and running for 13 yards. Tier 7 Low RB2sChase Edmonds, DolphinsJosh Jacobs, RaidersDameon Pierce, TexansElijah Mitchell, 49ers. Meanwhile, McCaffrey is the most prolific fantasy RB since LaDainian Tomlinson. Use discount code "SPORTING" to become a RotoBaller subscriber and get access to all their award-winning, game-changing tools, stats, and analysis. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts 12. That elite goal-line usage helped separate Taylor from the pack as the bonafide No. Furthermore, the former BYU star had 13 career rushing touchdowns entering the year. When hes on the field, hes still one of the very best dual-purpose backs in football. Williams has top-five upside, but can he reach it with Melvin Gordon in the mix? 5 overall in PPR drafts. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts. You could absolutely argue Christian McCaffrey or Dalvin Cook should be in the top tier both backs have demonstrated their elite skills profiles through the years but both backs also have injury histories. 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. Splitting duty with Kareem Hunt has done absolutely nothing to slow or curb the production of Chubb. 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. If you're interested in more help while drafting, check outRotoBaller's premium "Who To Draft?" That December, when the weather got colder and defenses started wearing down, he bumped up to 5.9 yards per carry. Can't. 1 pick. 9:54 am ET. Hes carried the ball 579 different times for an average of 3.9 YPC. While the ceilings not as high anymore, he should have the volume to be a borderline top-12 RB this year. 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. What troubles us, though, is that Harris only averaged 6.3 yards per reception and 3.9 yards per carry. It feels like forever ago when everyone was wondering if Cook would live up to his potential. Basically, hes good at just about everything. Harris will share work with Stevenson, but I like the latter's upside as a pass catcher in New England. Big plays have never been part of Harris' game and that doesn't . 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). 9,423 views Sep 7, 2021 101 Dislike Share The Rich Eisen Show 412K subscribers Rich Eisen. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 1 overall in fantasy football drafts? 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. Hall is also a very talented three-down back, but as a rookie in a team expected to struggle to win games, his touches could be controlled. Jonathan Taylor is the alpha and omega, stunning the world if he is not the 1.01 in any 1QB league. Click here to confirm your accessLogin Now. Before getting hurt last year, Henry averaged 21.9 standard fantasy points per game; Taylor only averaged 16.4 in that same eight-game span. He caught just 19-of-31 targets in 2019 and averaged only six yards per reception. Chubbs fantasy value in PPR is severely limited by his lack of targets in the past two years. At 23, he sure seems like the best bet regardless of format. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, Top Quarterbacks: Comparing Player Props With ADP and Rankings, Pete Carroll Is Still Going Strong and Setting the Seahawks Culture. If the Steelers can improve their offensive line and Kenny Pickett takes a step forward in his second year, Harris should be a low-end RB1. Pittsburgh Steelers rookie Najee Harris is my No. Facebook; Twitter; . 10 RB Najee Harris PIT 9 $29. 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. Similarly, a back with elite pass-catching ability also has more opportunities to score TDs. Drafted 2021 1.24 Exp 2. Hero RB is receiver-centric. 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 | The Steelers rookie running back managed a league-leading 381 touches in 2021, and finished as the RB4 in half-point scoring as a result. . Thats the reason hes not among my RB1s heading into 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). Harris tallied 954 yards rushing, 219 yards receiving, and 9 TDs in the fantasy season. Start Over | Edit Players Summary Game Log Stats Projections Points Targets Notes See if your team wins or loses with this trade. Gibsons value appears to be on the decline after a preseason fumble. 5. 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. You can't place a vote until you make a selection first. 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. 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. Dillon, Packers. 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. Jonathan Taylor is 'hottest back in the NFL,' feels good despite leading league in touches . Lets dive right into the top five candidates. 1 RB Jonathan Taylor IND 14 $39. DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2022 fantasy cheat sheet. 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. Aug 31, 2022. 99 TE Dawson Knox BUF 7 $7 . . As our rankings show, we give Taylor the edge as the No. : #MINvsIND on FOX 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. Singletarys ceiling is capped by the fact the Bills simply love to use Josh Allen in goal-line rushing situations. 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. Robinson and Gordon are projecting as the second options in their respective backfields. Kamara led all backs with a 20.2% target share last year. Weve already seen Sanders saying he doesnt get enough usage this offseason. So, who should go 1-2-3 out of the top tier of RBs in PPR drafts? 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. Expectations are this will not be a direct split, but Gordon should still take enough of the pie to hurt Williams fantasy output. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. 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. Fantasy football running back tiers: Ranking the best RBs from Jonathan Taylor to Saquon Barkley and more. Tier 8 High RB3s/FlexTony Pollard, CowboysRhamondre Stevenson, PatriotsClyde Edwards-Helaire, ChiefsAntonio Gibson, CommandersCordarrelle Patterson, FalconsJ.K. So, that worked out nicely for Jamey from the No. Jonathan Taylor has accumulated 3,841 yds on the ground in 43 games played in his career. 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. 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 126.7 per-game average trails just 10 players total throughout the history of the NFL. You don't currently have any notifications. 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. PRO CAREER. That said, there are enough obvious risks here to preclude Ekeler from going ahead of Taylor. Now both teams are just trying to be competitive every week. You can see stats, bowl records, National Championship appearances, awards and more. Taylor and McCaffrey are a slight step ahead in this tier compared to Ekeler, but all are extremely close, especially in PPR. That appears set to be the same situation this year, plus Jalen Hurts should take touches out of that backfield. Jonathan Taylor underperformed as the RB30 in 11 games averaging 12.6 fantasy points as the RB18 when healthy. Quite simply, he combined superior talent with opportunity. 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). Tier 1 The EliteJonathan Taylor, ColtsChristian McCaffrey, Panthers. 1 running back, has seen his stock rise substantially. 2022 CONSISTENCY RATINGS:Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end. He has carried the ball 272 times to the tune of 3.8 YPC. Calvin Ridley, WR, Atlanta Falcons 15. Click here to read all his articles here on SI Fantasy. No player in fantasy football has a higher ceiling if he can stay healthy. 2 overall, and things mostly continued the way you expect for the next few picks, with one exception; Cooper Kupp kept falling. The goal is to roster as many top receivers as possible along with a top running back. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram for your late-breaking fantasy news and the best analysis in the business! Taylors 2,171 yards from scrimmage in 21 bested Henrys total yardage from 20 by 30 yards thanks to JT netting 246 more receiving yards. We are predicting the Steelers go into Lucas Oil Stadium ad come away with the upset in. 2022 FANTASY DRAFT STRATEGY:Snake drafts | Auctions | Dynasty | Best ball | IDP. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. He was a top-5 runner last season before suffering a knee injury that had him running in quicksand in the second half. $42 Najee Harris ($39) $39 Derrick Henry ($37) I understand the McCaffrey supporters who would take him first overall. 2, get a good pair of noise-canceling headphones to block out the unlimited heckling your leaguemates will subject you with throughout the season. 1 RB in PPR and standard leagues. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the. Swifts upside is hampered by the continued presence of Jamaal Williams. 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. 98 RB Damien Harris NE 10 $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. He did haul in 18-of-20 targets last season before getting hurt, but thats still a pretty small pre-injury sample size. 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. At 22, Taylor rushed for 552 yards more than the No. Singletary and Gibson are both in intriguing situations. At the age of 23 (this season), Taylor should remain a fantasy star. We are predicting the Steelers go into Lucas Oil Stadium ad come away with the upset in a low-scoring, physical battle. Taylor also scored 20 all-purpose TDs last season, while Henry maxed out at 17 in 20 and 18 three years ago. Tier 11 High HandcuffsRaheem Mostert, DolphinsAlexander Mattison, VikingsJamaal Williams, LionsKenneth Gainwell, EaglesIsaih Pacheco, Chiefs Khalil Herbert, BearsRex Burkhead, TexansRachaad White, Buccaneers. Austin Ekeler, Chargers Najee Harris, Steelers Derrick Henry, Titans. Pierce, who looks like the Texans No. Borderline: Javonte Williams, Saquon Barkley, Nick Chubb, James Conner, Antonio Gibson. Jonathan Taylor vs. Derrick Henry: Which top-tier fantasy RB should go No. Matt Brandon Oct 6th 5:45 PM EDT. He has more rushing touchdowns than Jonathan Taylor, Najee Harris, and James Conner combined. Tier 6 Mid RB2sTravis Etienne, JaguarsDavid Montgomery, BearsBreece Hall, JetsA.J. For a franchise that has always prided themselves on establishing the run, 2020 was abysmal. 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. 2 overall seems like a damn good option, and it's tough to blame anyone who ranks Pittsburghs back over Ekeler. 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. Be sure to check out our full RB PPR rankings and RB tiers before you draft! Luckily, Harris accomplished just that, earning a PFF grade over 88.1 in his final three seasons at Alabama. I'm unquestionably stronger at TE, and while Lance has incredible upside, Mahomes has already done it. Here are the ones I trust when employing the Hero RB strategy. But understandably, you want to make the best decisions on every investment in every round. 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. Edmonds' stock is on the rise after the Dolphins released Sony Michel. Hes younger, healthier, and has a better offensive 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. Penny, who popped at the end of last season, is the favorite to start in Seattle, but can he avoid injuries? Already a premium subscriber? He has been placed on IR and won't return in 2022. He has a pre-athletic testing score of a 96.5 overall prospect score RBs who had a 90 or above in past years: Jonathan Taylor, Saquon Barkley, Breece Hall, Najee Harris, Travis Etienne, Derrick Henry, Zeke, Fournette. Tier 6: Melvin Gordon, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kenneth Walker III, Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson, James Robinson, Rashaad Penny, Tier 7: Michael Carter, J.D. Additionally, we could see a drop off in his 18.4% target share following a number of pass-catching additions this offseason. Health was an issue in 2022. In standard leagues, these two are the creme de la creme. $48 Jonathan Taylor ($50) $46 Christian McCaffrey ($41) . Harris had a strong finish to the season and will bounce back in 2023 at full health and pay off for where he's drafted. The volume he is going to see in 2022 will ensure he is one of the safest running backs available in fantasy football. 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. 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. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts . Most Fantasy Football drafts tend to follow a relatively similar pattern, especially early on. All Rights Reserved. Still, Ekelers injury history could make drafters squeamish. That left me with Taylor as my pick at No. Stevenson should split the workload with Damien Harris in New England, and Edwards-Helaire will share touches with Jerick McKinnon in what looks like a committee in Kansas City. How To Get Started, Tips, and More. Barkley is sort of hovering between the two tiers, and given the glimpse of the old Barkley that we saw in the first week of the preseason, he could even sneak up into the tier above by Labor Day weekend. He has good hands, catching nearly 85 percent of his 90 targets through his first two seasons. With each reception counting for a point or even just a half-point, a strong three-down receiving back jumps way up in value. 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. Tier 5 High RB2sNick Chubb, BrownsJames Conner, CardinalsEzekiel Elliott, Cowboys. He had higher grades on Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor and LSU's Clyde Edwards-Helaire last year than the 2021 class. After tallying zero games with 20 carries through the first 8 weeks, Harris totaled 5 games with 20-plus carries during the second half of 2022. Hes averaged just 21.5 targets per season under Stefanskis play-calling. Lets examine our updated consensus tiers as managers enter their 2022 fantasy drafts. Alternatively, if you want to chat with our analysts, be sure to join our completely free Discord server. After scoring a combined 33 TDs through his 1st two seasons, Taylor scored just four rushing TDs in 2022. I side with . He was well on his way last year, catching 18-of-20 targets, but a broken bone in his foot changed everything. Cast your vote and tell us who you have winning this one. All Rights Reserved. That's a pretty standard Hero-RB-ish build, which is my preferred strategy at this point. 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. Name Team; Name Team; Jonathan Taylor: IND: Najee Harris: PIT: D'Andre Swift: DET: Christian McCaffrey: CAR: Javonte Williams: DEN: Breece Hall: NYJ: Austin . Montgomery will lead a run-based attack in Chicago, though Khalil Herbert could earn more touches. 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. No matter what team build approach you choose, you're going to be making some kind of sacrifices. 2022 STANDARD RANKINGS:QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers | Top 200| Superflex. 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. This week the 3-7 Pittsburgh Steelers go on the road to take on the 4-6-1 Indianapolis Colts. Najee Harris, Pit (RB5) -- Karabell 8. 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. CMC has played just 10 total games over the past two seasons, while Cook has never played more than 14 games. The remaining names in this tier all rank inside the top 15 overall in our consensus 2022 PPR fantasy rankings. With so much disappointment in the QB and coaching ranks in Chicago, Montgomery has been the glimmer of hope and routinely given Bears fans something to cheer about when they had little else. Colts RB Jonathan Taylor can be a dynasty building block. Will they use this as a rallying point and win a very winnable game or is there just no fight left? Since the age of running backs really isnt a factor in redraft, more of them are viable to be your Hero RB. ADP. Head Coach Mike Tomlin. Bijan Robinson is the number 1 rated RB - no surprise there. Jonathan Taylor or Najee Harris | Who Should I Draft in Dynasty? 2, well go with Harris by a nose-hair over Ekeler just because of volume and injury history. 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. Najee Harris or Jonathan Taylor Who Should I Start? 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. 1 pick in our first mock draft of 2022. 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). 2023 was a year to forget for the consensus 1.01 in fantasy football drafts. Jonathan Taylor Injury Update Taylor was diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain following Saturday's loss to the Vikings. Last season, Taylor was the best running back in fantasy, averaging 22 PPR fantasy points per game (ppg). Copyright 2010- FantasyPros.com Mattison, Williams and Gainwell are among the top options, and the latter two could have standalone flex value at times regardless. Conner should get the first shot at major work, but Darrel Williams is looming to hamper his ceiling potentially. You don't currently have any notifications, See if your team wins or loses with this trade View Trade Analyzer. Dobbins, RavensKareem Hunt, BrownsRashaad Penny, Seahawks. He's locked into massive volume behind one of the best run-blocking offensive lines in the league. The Colts celebrates Jonathan Taylor's touchdown against the Steelers on Dec. 27, 2020, at Heinz Field. . . Brown (A.J. Jonathan TaylorChristian McCaffreyAustin Ekeler. Michael Hickey/Getty Images. We should expect something closer to his 332 rush, 1811 rushing yards, 18 TD season in the next few years.