Im projecting Foreman as the top handcuff for CMC, but Chuba Hubbard is also in the mix for the Panthers. Name Team; Name Team; Jonathan Taylor: IND: Najee Harris: PIT: D'Andre Swift: DET: Christian McCaffrey: CAR: Javonte Williams: DEN: Breece Hall: NYJ: Austin . Harris should dominate. At 23, he sure seems like the best bet regardless of format. He has run for 4 touchdowns this year with a long carry of 66 yds. Jonathan Taylor or Najee Harris | Who Should I Draft? 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. You don't currently have any notifications, Get custom advice with our Draft Assistant. So, if you miss out on a particular player you can see others on his tier. Singletarys ceiling is capped by the fact the Bills simply love to use Josh Allen in goal-line rushing situations. As our rankings show, we give Taylor the edge as the No. 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. During his 17 games this season, Najee Harris is averaging 61.1 yards per contest and has crossed the goal line 7 different times on the ground. #ForTheShoe @JayT23. If he does get the trade he wants, then his value could skyrocket this offseason. Lets dive right into the top five candidates. Thats the reason hes not among my RB1s heading into drafts. 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. 1 PPR back. 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. 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. Captain: RB Jonathan Taylor, Colts ($17,400) He's earning heavy volume, finding the end zone, and securing targets. Taylor played all 17 regular-season games in 21 and looked fine despite the massive usage. 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. 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. 1 running back, has seen his stock rise substantially. Meanwhile, you should not underestimate the value of Patterson in PPR formats. If anything, it simply makes you wonder just how much more destructive he'd be if he was the only option out of the Browns' backfield. Accept Draft Wizard My Playbook Premium Log. 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. 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. Tier 12 Low HandcuffsDamien Williams, FalconsMark Ingram, SaintsZamir White, RaidersD'Onta Foreman, PanthersBrian Robinson, Jr., CommandersTyler Allgeier, FalconsDontrell Hilliard, TitansJoshua Kelley, Chargers. Not everyone agrees on the exact order the top players should be going off the board in, but there's a pretty strong consensus, to the point where you rarely find yourself surprised by much. He's rushed for 33 touchdowns with the longest carry being for 62 yds. Flex: RB Najee Harris, Steelers ($9,400) 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. He is rushing for 78.3 yds on the ground per contest. Last season, Taylor was the best running back in fantasy, averaging 22 PPR fantasy points per game (ppg). Be sure to check out our full RB PPR rankings and RB tiers before you draft! 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. No player in fantasy football has a higher ceiling if he can stay healthy. That's a pretty standard Hero-RB-ish build, which is my preferred strategy at this point. When Taylor first returned from injury (Weeks 10-13) he ranked as the RB3 overall. Taylor Made (Jonathan Taylor) Hot Chubb Time Machine (Nick Chubb) Best fantasy team names for top wide receivers. 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 . Its also imperative to pay attention to injury risks and the age factor. Plus the presence of James Cook as a pass-catching back has a major effect. 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. Aug 31, 2022. Harris finished with 1,200 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. The others on this list are all talented, but workload questions are prevalent. 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'. McCaffrey was the consensus No. And, it turned out to help Jamey more than anyone else, at least in my view. Hes young, healthy, super-skilled, and has very little competition for touches both on the ground and through the air. Najee Harris, Pit (RB5) -- Karabell 8. 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. Copyright 2010- FantasyPros.com McCaffrey averaged 26 fantasy points per game. 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. Pollard carries increased value in a PPR format, especially with injuries to the Cowboys RB group. 5 overall in PPR drafts. 1 overall pick, as Eric Young took Christian McCaffrey instead of Jonathan Taylor a pick I've been advocating for the entire offseason, so maybe we're going to see it a bit more often over the final month of drafts. College Alabama. Like a bat out of the gates of hell, Taylor flies onto this 2022 list with flames dripping from his wings. Jonathan Taylor puts the @Colts ahead! Montgomery will lead a run-based attack in Chicago, though Khalil Herbert could earn more touches. Of course, nobody will call you a donkey for opting instead for King Henry. 2 overall, and things mostly continued the way you expect for the next few picks, with one exception; Cooper Kupp kept falling. Pro Football Network, LLC. 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. A myriad of variables determine how successful a running back will be at the NFL level, and the bottom line is not all of them are created equal, with some being forced to produce with much less of a supporting cast for much of their career to this point, e.g., Joe Mixon. at Hell be a top-five pick. Damien Harris, PatriotsCam Akers, RamsMiles Sanders, EaglesDevin Singletary, BillsDarrell Henderson, Rams. 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. What troubles us, though, is that Harris only averaged 6.3 yards per reception and 3.9 yards per carry. Henry was on pace to rush for over 1,990 yards last season before going down with an injured foot. Click here to read all his articles here on SI Fantasy. That gives him an automatic edge over Henry, a workhorse back who suffered an injury to one of his most vital body parts. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Combined with 40-reception upside, Taylor is a locked-in first-round RB in fantasy football drafts. This game is going to come down to which team can run the football. Expectations are this will not be a direct split, but Gordon should still take enough of the pie to hurt Williams fantasy output. This has been a common theme over the course of his career and certainly during his 2,000-yard rushing season. 2, well go with Harris by a nose-hair over Ekeler just because of volume and injury history. Elliott had a tough year in 2021, but hes still a talented back. The Colts celebrates Jonathan Taylor's touchdown against the Steelers on Dec. 27, 2020, at Heinz Field. The Colts gutted out their coaching staff at midseason and many Steelers fans think Pittsburgh should have done the same. Akers has lost value in drafts as he heads into what looks like a committee with Henderson. Taylors 42 carries inside the 10-yard line were 12 more than the next-closest back (Damien Harris, 30). Tier 6 Mid RB2sTravis Etienne, JaguarsDavid Montgomery, BearsBreece Hall, JetsA.J. 2022 STANDARD RANKINGS:QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers | Top 200| Superflex. Will we see him back to his old self in 2022? Do Not Sell My Personal Information. But it is unclear who,. 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. Kamara is one of the halfbacks on this list who recently landed his bag, but it hasn't altered his approach to the game. 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. Please check your email for a confirmation. McCaffrey has missed all but 10 games the last two year due to injuries, but he averaged around 30 fantasy points per game in 2018 and was over that total in four games last season. In his absence, Zack. While the ceilings not as high anymore, he should have the volume to be a borderline top-12 RB this year. 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. Furthermore, the former BYU star had 13 career rushing touchdowns entering the year. Ekeler finished second with 343.8 PPR points in 2021. section: | slug: ranking-nfls-top-10-rbs-for-2022-christian-mccaffrey-plummets-with-injury-concerns-jonathan-taylor-soars | sport: football | route: article_single.us | 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. Additionally, we could see a drop off in his 18.4% target share following a number of pass-catching additions this offseason. But he should be the offensive focal point tonight. Head Coach Mike Tomlin. The case for Jonathan Taylor over Nick Chubb. Hes carried the ball 579 different times for an average of 3.9 YPC. He has good hands, catching nearly 85 percent of his 90 targets through his first two seasons. Click here to confirm your accessLogin Now. That said, there are enough obvious risks here to preclude Ekeler from going ahead of Taylor. The debate is largely over whether he can stay healthy and remain efficient at this stage in his career. However, he should see enough targets to mitigate efficiency concerns. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. Hero RB is receiver-centric. Ranking NFL's top 10 RBs for 2022: Christian McCaffrey plummets with injury issues, Jonathan Taylor explodes. 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). 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. Sometimes running backs have to do more with less, and no one knows this better than Mixon. If you draft either No. Kamara is truly lightning in a bottle and, without him, the Saints' offense wouldn't have been worth any conversation in 2021. You don't currently have any notifications, See if your team wins or loses with this trade View Trade Analyzer. Perhaps Jonathan Taylor has lost a step after enduring a heavy workload last season. 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. Luckily, Harris accomplished just that, earning a PFF grade over 88.1 in his final three seasons at Alabama. You can see stats, bowl records, National Championship appearances, awards and more. The volume he is going to see in 2022 will ensure he is one of the safest running backs available in fantasy football. If you're interested in more help while drafting, check outRotoBaller's premium "Who To Draft?" J.K. DobbinsCordarrelle PattersonElijah MitchellChase EdmondsMiles SandersTony PollardDevin SingletaryKareem HuntAntonio Gibson. 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. All Combine and Draft-Related Analysis, News, Video, and Biographical Information for Jonathan Taylor All Rights Reserved. If you like high risks with potential sky-high rewards, look no further. Brown) Mike Mike Mike Mike . There's a reason he won this league last year. 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. 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. 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. Taylor also scored 59.3 more fantasy points on the season than the second-best fantasy RB, Austin Ekeler. Dillon saw an increase in usage down the stretch last season, especially in the red zone. 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. 2022 FANTASY SLEEPERS:QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | One from each team. 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. Picking Harris at No. Kamara led all backs with a 20.2% target share last year. Start free trial today. Taylor has accumulated 861 yds carrying the ball in 11 games played this year. We are predicting the Steelers go into Lucas Oil Stadium ad come away with the upset in a low-scoring, physical battle. Those numbers put him top-five in both PPR and standard scoring last season. Edmonds' stock is on the rise after the Dolphins released Sony Michel. I'm unquestionably stronger at TE, and while Lance has incredible upside, Mahomes has already done it. All of these backs will likely be in committees in 2022, making it tough to trust them as more than flex options. 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. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts 12. 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). This tier spans just over 10 spots in our overall PPR rankings. 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. 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. 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. Swifts upside is hampered by the continued presence of Jamaal Williams. Dobbins, RavensKareem Hunt, BrownsRashaad Penny, Seahawks. You don't currently have any notifications, Get custom advice with our Draft Assistant. He also led the league in carries and was second to the Steelers' Najee Harris with . Similarly, a back with elite pass-catching ability also has more opportunities to score TDs. Already a premium subscriber? Jonathan Taylor or Najee Harris | Who Should I Draft in Dynasty? 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. With each reception counting for a point or even just a half-point, a strong three-down receiving back jumps way up in value. The short answer, of course, is that you cant really go wrong either way. 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. Meanwhile, McCaffrey is the most prolific fantasy RB since LaDainian Tomlinson. 1 seems to be pretty concrete across the board, regardless of format, but PPR leagues have yielded vastly different results at No. Jonathan Taylor is 'hottest back in the NFL,' feels good despite leading league in touches . He's also coming off a season where he scored just six times. Its hard to go wrong with this group. Penny, who popped at the end of last season, is the favorite to start in Seattle, but can he avoid injuries? 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. A case can be made for either Taylor at Henry as first off the board but passing on either of them for a wild card with health risks could have dire consequences. Barkley has high RB1 potential, but hes failed to meet expectations the past few years. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. Lets dive deeper into the debate of whether you should draft Taylor or Henry at No. If Jonathan Taylor were staring at me in the first round, I couldn't pass him up, but he might be the only one. Our ESPN draft analysts all selected Harris as the top running back, with Kiper . Singletary looks like the leader in the Bills backfield, making him a viable middle-round flex starter. 2022 PPR RANKINGS:QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers | Top 200 | Superflex, Dont get cute. 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. At No. First running back in franchise history to rush for at least 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons in the NFL. From Weeks 11 to 17, Taylor was the RB3 with 24.3 fantasy points per game. Everyone loves upside and potential steals, but there seems like way too much potential downside to grabbing CMC before No. Harris will share work with Stevenson, but I like the latter's upside as a pass catcher in New England. 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. Etienne is a popular breakout candidate, but will James Robinsons return slow his rocket ship to stardom? 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. Facebook; Twitter; . Taylor is running for 89.3 yds on the ground per game so far in his career. Tier 1 The EliteJonathan Taylor, ColtsChristian McCaffrey, Panthers. Meanwhile, McCaffrey is the most prolific fantasy RB since LaDainian Tomlinson. 2023 NFL Scouting Combine: Day 2 Recap (Fantasy Football), NFL Free Agency Rumors & News: Tony Pollard, Tua Tagovailoa (2023 Fantasy Football), NFL Free Agency Rumors & News: Mac Jones, Josh Jacobs (2023 Fantasy Football), Dynasty Players to Give Up On (2023 Fantasy Football), 2023 NFL Draft Burning Questions: No. Pro Football Network strives to passionately deliver purposeful, captivating, and exceptional football content. His average yds per carry is currently at 4.5 and he has carried it 192 different times this year. Finally looked healthy down 2022 stretch (was RB5 over last 10), could be huge rebound candidate. From our Start/Sit Assistant which provides your optimal lineup based on accurate consensus projections to our Waiver Wire Assistant which allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and by how much weve got you covered this fantasy football season. Jonathan Taylor is the better back but Najee Harris has shown steady improvement the last two weeks. However, he is still expected to be the Vikings featured back and should see some positive regression on just six touchdowns from last season. 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. To see the full results of our draft, you can find it at this link. Hall should lead the Jets backfield in touches, though Michael Carter will camp his ceiling in the receiving categories. . 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. 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. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Use discount code "SPORTING" to become a RotoBaller subscriber and get access to all their award-winning, game-changing tools, stats, and analysis. Walker's (hernia) status for Week 1 is in question, but he's still very draftable as a No. He was on pace for 90 catches and 1,906 scrimmage yards before the injury bug once again reared its ugly head. Fantasy football running back tiers: Ranking the best RBs from Jonathan Taylor to Saquon Barkley and more. 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. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts. 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. Last season, he was 27th in snaps at just 49% amongst RBs a number that will undoubtedly increase in 2021. 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.