Akers is already dealing with preseason injuries, and he struggled for explosiveness after returning from an Achilles injury. 2, get a good pair of noise-canceling headphones to block out the unlimited heckling your leaguemates will subject you with throughout the season. 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, McCaffrey is the most prolific fantasy RB since LaDainian Tomlinson. 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. 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. You can't place a vote until you make a selection first. Basically, hes good at just about everything. So, who should go 1-2-3 out of the top tier of RBs in PPR drafts? section: | slug: ranking-nfls-top-10-rbs-for-2022-christian-mccaffrey-plummets-with-injury-concerns-jonathan-taylor-soars | sport: football | route: article_single.us | 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. By using a tiered approach, fantasy managers can see where the next drop-off in talent is and make decisions about whether they need to invest in the current tier or if theyre able to wait. Drafted 2021 1.24 Exp 2. He had higher grades on Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor and LSU's Clyde Edwards-Helaire last year than the 2021 class. Watch the NFL all season long with fuboTV. The RB5 last season, Conner will likely experience touchdown regression even though his role in Arizona projects to increase a bit without Chase Edmonds. If you think he isnt elusive or breaking tackles youre crazy. Harris carried the ball 23 times for 84 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 28-14 win over the Browns. 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. Jonathan Taylor is 'hottest back in the NFL,' feels good despite leading league in touches . He also added 467 receiving yards and three touchdowns through the air. 2022 RANKINGS TIERS & DRAFT STRATEGY:QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs. Four of the Panthers 5 wins last season came when CMC was active and playing. It feels like forever ago when everyone was wondering if Cook would live up to his potential. It feels like Montgomery doesn't get the praise he should on a national level, and that's very odd. 2023 was a year to forget for the consensus 1.01 in fantasy football drafts. Najee Harris was focused on preparing to handle the type of workload he experienced last season, when he led all rookies in touches. 1 RB Jonathan Taylor IND 14 $39. 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. 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. All Combine and Draft-Related Analysis, News, Video, and Biographical Information for Jonathan Taylor Workload might be an issue for the freight train in shoulder pads, but hes still a high-end runner in all fantasy leagues. Besides Taylor, Ekeler was the only other back to average 21.0 PPR points between Week 1 and Week 17 last season. 1 Overall Pick, Anthony Richardson, Wide Receivers, Dynasty IDP Rookie Draft Profile: Drew Sanders (2023 Fantasy Football), No, I'm a California resident looking for the California Consumer Privacy Act form. Harris tallied 954 yards rushing, 219 yards receiving, and 9 TDs in the fantasy season. : #MINvsIND on FOX But he should be the offensive focal point tonight. Cincy's line is still shaky, but the . Tier 6 Mid RB2sTravis Etienne, JaguarsDavid Montgomery, BearsBreece Hall, JetsA.J. 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. 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. Derrick HenryDalvin CookJoe MixonNajee HarrisLeonard FournetteDAndre SwiftAlvin Kamara. 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. 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. Najee Harris' fantasy outlook for 2021. So, if you miss out on a particular player you can see others on his tier. 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. Brown traded away to the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2022 NFL Draft, the Titans will depend more than ever on Henry, which isn't exactly a stretch when considering that's mostly what they've been doing to this point in his career anyway; as evidenced by his 2,141-yard season (!!) Jones has a huge variation in his ranking among our analysts. No player came close to sniffing his amount of volume near paydirt. Pro Football Network strives to passionately deliver purposeful, captivating, and exceptional football content. #ForTheShoe @JayT23. 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. 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. The case for Jonathan Taylor over Nick Chubb. 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. Cook had a tough season in 2021 and does not have the best history in terms of health. 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. 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. 2022 STANDARD RANKINGS:QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers | Top 200| Superflex. RB, Steelers. He caught just 19-of-31 targets in 2019 and averaged only six yards per reception. 1 WR in this particular draft. An immobile Ben Roethlisberger was a check-down target machine to Harris in 2021 which may not be the case in 2022. The debate is largely over whether he can stay healthy and remain efficient at this stage in his career. Mixon was a very good receiver out of the backfield in college, and in 2021, he will finally get more opportunities to display his pass-catching abilities. 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. Najee Harris and Jonathan Taylor are both underperforming this season but both backs are capable of taking over a game. 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. Robinson and Gordon are projecting as the second options in their respective backfields. Hes averaged just 21.5 targets per season under Stefanskis play-calling. Barkley has high RB1 potential, but hes failed to meet expectations the past few years. (2021) | FantasyPros Jonathan Taylor or Najee Harris Who Should I Draft (Keeper / Dynasty)? 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. No matter what team build approach you choose, you're going to be making some kind of sacrifices. Walker's (hernia) status for Week 1 is in question, but he's still very draftable as a No. 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. 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. Compare Saquon Barkley and Jonathan Taylor careers through the years of your choosing. Facebook; Twitter; . Copyright 2010- FantasyPros.com Aug 31, 2022. 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. McKissic, Cook, Hines and Carter will no doubt be used as a pass catcher for their their respective teams. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings 3.. It was Kamara who helped keep the Saints' offense relevant in 2021 -- absent All-Pro wideout Michael Thomas and any sort of consistent production at QB following a torn ACL suffered by Jameis Winston -- and it's neither the first nor last time he'll be tasked with being the bulk of the production. He was well on his way last year, catching 18-of-20 targets, but a broken bone in his foot changed everything. 6-keys: media/fantasynews/nfl/reg/free/stories, at . Captain: RB Jonathan Taylor, Colts ($17,400) He's earning heavy volume, finding the end zone, and securing targets. Compare that to the likes of other first-round backs in Jonathan Taylor (3.6%), Dalvin Cook (2.7%), and Saquon Barkley (2.6%). Don't let the fact he battled through injury in 2021 throw you off of what is the glaringly obvious: Henry remains atop the mountain of best running backs in the NFL. 2022 AUCTION VALUES (Standard & PPR):QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers | Overall. 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 . Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. In his absence, Zack. The Chargers have a top-12 offensive line according to PFF and a top-five offense according to 21 stats (scoring and yardage), so the fantasy goodness should carry over to 22 as long as Professor Ek stays healthy. He rarely coughs up the rock, posting just five total fumbles over his first 640 touches. Expectations are this will not be a direct split, but Gordon should still take enough of the pie to hurt Williams fantasy output. For the Steelers this game marks his seventh career start as he continues to develop as Pittsburghs future franchise signal caller. 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. How does Taylor do it? Michael Carter is a solid pass-catching RB, and the Jets could be throwing a lot in the second half this season. David MontgomeryBreece HallTravis EtienneCam AkersAJ DillonJosh Jacobs. Jones is going to lose carries to A.J. Kamara appears to be safe from an NFL suspension, at least for 2022, so his value is rising. 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). 2. Taylor is the consensus No. Najee Harris, PIT ADP 8.08. In standard leagues, these two are the creme de la creme. (2022) | FantasyPros By accessing this site you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use. Moving forward, Harris is a dynasty running back who should keep the fantasy points coming in for years. 1 standard RB, hes also the No. Hes locked into massive volume behind one of the best run-blocking offensive lines in the league. 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. That appears set to be the same situation this year, plus Jalen Hurts should take touches out of that backfield. Etienne is a popular breakout candidate, but will James Robinsons return slow his rocket ship to stardom? For when it comes to assessing the best in the NFL at the position, you're hard-pressed to keep that argument going, knowing full well not everyone can do what they do, when/if given the chance. And, it turned out to help Jamey more than anyone else, at least in my view. (Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) Round 1 1. 2 rusher last season (Nick Chubb) and over 600 yards more than Joe Mixon at No. 3. There are expectations he will take a bigger role in the passing game, but could losing goal-line work to AJ Dillon offset that? 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 . Williams ceiling got lowered with the return of Melvin Gordon. Big plays have never been part of Harris' game and that doesn't . 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. Get insight into every teams' depth chart to see all the backups and sleepers you need to know with our 2022 RB . The Colts gutted out their coaching staff at midseason and many Steelers fans think Pittsburgh should have done the same. Najee Harris, on the other hand, enters the NFL at 23 years-old and is already an established pass-protector. This game could come down to which rushing offense steps up.. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the. Taylor's carried the rock 20-plus times in both games since Jeff Saturday took over as interim head coach, but the offense might have more success through the air this week as Taylor could be. Now both teams are just trying to be competitive every week. Tier 2 - High RB1s. 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. 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. 1 overall in fantasy football drafts? If he does get the trade he wants, then his value could skyrocket this offseason. Indeed, thats where the true question marks begin: who is the second-best PPR option in fantasy football? Resigned to the fact that this team just doesnt have it. 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. 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. 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. Singletarys ceiling is capped by the fact the Bills simply love to use Josh Allen in goal-line rushing situations. Quite simply, he combined superior talent with opportunity. ? It makes sense JT was the best RB last year, and King Henry dominated the previous two seasons before breaking a bone in his right foot last Halloween. Click here to confirm your accessLogin Now. 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. As our rankings show, we give Taylor the edge as the No. 2022 FANTASY DRAFT STRATEGY:Snake drafts | Auctions | Dynasty | Best ball | IDP. To see the full results of our draft, you can find it at this link. Taylor missed six games this year and finished under 5.0 yards per rush (4.5) for the first time in his 3-year career. Saquon BarkleyAaron JonesJavonte WilliamsNick ChubbEzekiel ElliottJames Conner. PFF ranks the Colts line No. 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. 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. Ranking NFL's top 10 RBs for 2022: Christian McCaffrey plummets with injury issues, Jonathan Taylor explodes. 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. If you like high risks with potential sky-high rewards, look no further. Jonathan Taylor vs. Derrick Henry: Which top-tier fantasy RB should go No. Taylor and McCaffrey are a slight step ahead in this tier compared to Ekeler, but all are extremely close, especially in PPR. Jonathan Taylor is the better back but Najee Harris has shown steady improvement the last two weeks. 2 overall, and things mostly continued the way you expect for the next few picks, with one exception; Cooper Kupp kept falling. Ken Walker, SeahawksMelvin Gordon, BroncosJames Robinson, JaguarsJames Cook, BillsJ.D. 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. 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. 2022 FANTASY SLEEPERS:QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | One from each team. 1 running back, has seen his stock rise substantially. The former Volunteer is continually volunteering to punch defenses in their mouths, but with what can only be described as an electric finesse. 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. Flex: RB Najee Harris, Steelers ($9,400) Penny, who popped at the end of last season, is the favorite to start in Seattle, but can he avoid injuries? Start Over | Edit Players Summary Game Log Stats Projections Points Targets Notes See if your team wins or loses with this trade. Harris should dominate. 1 running back (and player) in fantasy football after posting a breakout campaign in 2021. Kamara led all backs with a 20.2% target share last year. Already a premium subscriber? The short answer, of course, is that you cant really go wrong either way. Williams has top-five upside, but can he reach it with Melvin Gordon in the mix? 2022 PPR RANKINGS:QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers | Top 200 | Superflex, Dont get cute. No, I'm a California resident looking for the California Consumer Privacy Act form. Injuries are an inevitable part of fantasy football, especially at running back. 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. Because the Steelers did not practice on Tuesday, they issued an estimated injury report, and Harris (hip) was listed as a limited participant. 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. 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. Click here to confirm your accessLogin Now. So, that worked out nicely for Jamey from the No. . How Pittsburgh's offense responded after Najee Harris' exit. Already a premium subscriber? Hes carried the ball 579 different times for an average of 3.9 YPC. 1 seems to be pretty concrete across the board, regardless of format, but PPR leagues have yielded vastly different results at No. Despite having massive needs all over their . I like that the Panthers are already putting him in preseason bubble wrap to make sure hes full-go for Week 1. 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. Fantasy football draft season is upon us, and the predominant top-two picks in most standard drafts have been Jonathan Taylor and Derrick Henry. At 22, Taylor rushed for 552 yards more than the No. Use this breakdown of the top fantasy running backs to make smart draft decisions. . His longest run this season is 36 yds.