James Conner (vs. SEA) – Conner suffered a gruesome ankle injury in the loss to the 49ers. He is now out for the year which means it’s Trey Benson‘s time in Arizona. Benson is worth spending a good amount of FAAB on especially if you’re in need of a running back.

Terry McLaurin (@ ATL) – McLaurin finally had a breakout game but it came at a cost. He picked up a quad injury that may keep him out this week when the Commanders face the Falcons. The injury didn’t look serious at the time but it’s worth monitoring as his status is in doubt.

Najee Harris (@ NYG) – Yet another running back fell victim to a season ending Achilles injury, this time it’s Harris. Najee shared the workload with rookie Omarion Hampton but now it will be the Hampton show in LA.

The post 2025-26 Fantasy Football Week 4 Rankings appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Najee Harris (vs. KC) – Harris has recently been cleared for contact and is expected to suit up on Friday night. How much he plays is still to be determined but I expect rookie Omarion Hampton to get the majority of the workload.

Matthew Stafford (vs. HOU) – Stafford has missed most of the offseason due to a back injury but has recently been cleared for week 1. This injury is concerning for the 37 year-old quarterback who usually struggles in week 1 contests.

Tyreek Hill (@ IND) – It’s been a noisy offseason for Hill who was called out by his quarterback for his off the field drama. It looks like he is ready to go for week 1 after dealing with an oblique injury. Still, it’s hard to get too excited for Hill this season as his numbers continue to decline.

The post 2025-26 Fantasy Football Week 1 Rankings appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Quarterbacks

Start ‘Em

Brock Purdy (vs. NYG) – Purdy has yet to break the 20+ fantasy point mark but I see that changing on Thursday night. The visiting New York Giants are struggling defensively and just gave 28 points to a tanking Cardinals team. Even if Brandon Aiyuk doesn’t play Purdy should still be able to move the ball with ease. This one has all the makings of a blowout.

Sit ‘Em

Jordan Love (vs. NO) – Love has been impressive in his first two starts for Green Bay but he is in for a tough afternoon against the Saints defense. Even at home, the Packers will find it hard to move the ball against New Orleans who have yet to give up 20 points in a game. Green Bay may also be missing Aaron Jones and Christian Watson who has yet to make his 2023 debut.

Running Backs

Start ‘Em

Brian Robinson Jr. (vs. Buf) – There are no longer questions about who the lead-back in Washington is. Robinson Jr. has solidified his role as the main man for the Commanders thus far. He has also looked impressive in the passing game which is driving up his value. Robinson Jr. has averaged 20 touches per game through the first 2 weeks and I expect him to get around that this week against Buffalo. Washington will look to be more balanced on offense to limit the pressures on Sam Howell.

Sit ‘Em

Najee Harris (@ LV) – Unfortunately It’s now time to sit Harris. Harris has been a huge disappointment, to say the least through the first 2 weeks of the season. He has yet to eclipse the 5-point mark in half-ppr and only has 19 total touches thus far. Jaylen Warren has been the more explosive back and I like his upside better against the weak Raiders run defense.

Wide Receivers

Start ‘Em

Deebo Samuel (vs. NYG) – Samuel looks to be in line for more targets as Brandon Aiyuk’s status is in doubt for Thursday night. Samuel has had 16 targets through the first 2 games but has yet to have a breakout performance. I could see that happening tonight against the Giants. Lock in Samuel as a must-start if Aiyuk is out.

Sit ‘Em

Chris Godwin (vs. Phi) – Godwin has a tough matchup this week at home versus the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night. The Eagles secondary will be missing Avonte Maddox but don’t expect Godwin to benefit. It could be a tough day for Baker Mayfield and the Bucs offense as they deal with the Eagles stout front seven. I am fading Godwin this week until I see better production.

Tight Ends

Start ‘Em

Jake Ferguson (@ Ari) – Ferguson has a great matchup this week against the Arizona Cardinals as he will look to find the end zone in back-to-back weeks. Ferguson leads the league with 7 red zone targets which is encouraging going forward. Don’t expect gaudy numbers for Ferguson but I see him grabbing another touchdown on Sunday.

Sit ‘Em

Pat Freiermuth (@ LV) – Freiermuth has been one of the big disappointments in 2023 thus far. It’s hard to put the blame on him though as Kenny Pickett has struggled mightily. Even with a decent matchup ahead, it’s hard to trust Freiermuth to produce. Sit him until the Steelers passing game starts to show some life.

Start of the Week

Raheem Mostert (vs. Den) – There were questions before the season on how big of a role Mostert would get in the Miami Dolphins offense. It’s still early but Mostert has been lead-back for Miami and is showing no signs of slowing down. Mostert is averaging 15.5% touches per game and is currently the RB9 on the season. Coming to town are the Denver Broncos who were gashed by Brian Robinson last week. Robinson had big-time success in the screen-game and I expect Miami to do the same.

The post 2023-24 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Week 3 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Las Vegas Raiders at Buffalo Bills

Raiders eked out a good win in Denver but will place way stiffer test in Buffalo. Look for Josh Allen to bounce back with a huge day just like last year after he had a rough game. The Buffalo D will force a few turnovers in this game and Allen will throw for over 300 yards.

PREDICTION: Buffalo 40 Las Vegas 24

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals

Just like Buffalo Cincinnati is coming off a bad loss. Expect them to bounce back the problem is there facing a very good Baltimore defense. This will be a close fairly high scoring game with the Bengals eking out the close win.

PREDICTION: Bengals 34 Ravens 31

Kansas City Chiefs at Jacksonville Jaguars

What will the Chiefs look like with Kelce and Chris Jones back? Well way more formidable. Jacksonville will put up a fight but KC is too good to go 0-2. Take the Chiefs in this one.

PREDICTION: Chiefs 28 Jaguars 24

LA Chargers at Tennessee Titans

We got the high flying Chargers playing against the well coached Titans. The Chargers put up 34 pts last week and the Titans struggled. The Titans need Henry and Ryan Tannehill to play better this week but it won’t be easy. I don’t think the Titans can put up enough points to stay with the Chargers. Their only hope is to force turnovers. Also it will be interesting to see if Austin Ekeler will be playing this week, as he is a game changer when playing.

PREDICTION: Chargers 28 Titans 20

Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons

I like Atlanta in this one at home. Green Bay did look sharp in their first game but look for them to come down to Earth in this game. I think Jordan Love will struggle, and Desmond Ridder will play efficiently

PREDICTION: Atlanta 21 Green Bay 17

Seattle Seahawks at Detroit Lions

Detroit is coming off a huge win in KC. There defense comes to play each game, they just need their offense to keep up. Detroit will need to lock up DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, and with their pass rush should make this difficult for the Seahawks. With that said, Seattle will play well in this game and win by 3.

PREDICTION: Seattle 17 Detroit 14

Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans

Battle of the rookie Qb’s! CJ Stroud struggled in his first game for a rookie but to no surprise. Houston will have a tough time handling the Colts this weekend who have a stout running game. Look for the Colts D to take over in this one.

PREDICTION: Colts 21 Houston 17

Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Bucanneers

The Justin Fields led Bears stroll into Tampa Bay coming off a loss to the Packers. Tampa Bay is coming off a big win against the Vikings in Minnesota. What Baker Mayfield will we see? If he can manage the game and Tampa’s D can stay dominant they should win. This will be a close one with the Bears winning.

PREDICTION: Bears 24 Tampa 23

NY Giants Giants at Arizona Cardinals

The Giants laid a big egg against Dallas last week. Luckily they face the Cardinals this week who looked tough in Week 1 but are still a bad team. The Giants need to run Saquon Barkley, mix in some Darren Waller and have Daniel Jones play well against a decent Arizona defense.

PREDICTION: Giants 24 Arizona 10

Washington Commanders at Denver Broncos

Washington didn’t look the best in Week 1 against a weak Arizona team. Denver almost won at home and looked efficient at times but had issues also. It’s always tough to play in Denver but I think Washington does enough to get this win. Look for Sam Howell to be more efficient in his third game starting for Washington.

PREDICTION: Washington 21 Broncos 13

San Francisco 49ers at LA Rams

For all the doubters who doubted Brock Purdy in year 2 he looked mighty sharp in Week 1. Along with the tough defense 49ers will give many teams trouble this year. This will include the Kuppless Rams this week. Look for SF’s offense to have a big day!

PREDICTION: 49ers 24 Rams 7

New York Jets at Dallas Cowboys

These two teams have very good defenses and one of these teams offenses is way more superior. Look for Dallas to win big riding their defense against the Jets. Zach Wilson is not the answer and the Jets will struggle with him as their leader.

PREDICTION: Dallas 27 Jets 13

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots

This will be a good one as the red hot dolphins play the well coached Patriots. The Pats will look to rebound this week but it won’t be easy. I believe Bill Belichick will have a plan for Tua Tagovailoa and the Patriots will make life difficult for them. I like the Patriots in this one.

PREDICTION: Patriots 24 Dolphins 20

New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers

These two NFC south rivals face off in Carolina. I gauge teams on the proficiency of their QB and the Saints have a far more experiences and skilled QB in Derek Carr. Bryce Young will struggle against a Saints pass rush led by Cameron Jordan.

PREDICTION: Saints 31 Carolina 17

Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers

Is Cleveland for real? Are the Steelers the weakest team in the division? The answer to both of those questions is NO. Yes Deshaun Watson is back and the Browns looked good, but the Steelers will slow them down this week. Pittsburgh is always a tough place to play. Look for Najee Harris to have a big game along with Pickett.

PREDICTION: Steelers 19 Browns 14

The post 2023-24 Week 2 NFL Game Picks appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Quarterbacks

Start ‘Em

Justin Herbert (vs. Mia) – Herbert has an enticing matchup this week against a Miami Dolphins team that will be without Jalen Ramsey. Herbert threw for 367 yards in week 14 last year against the Dolphins and posted a 76.5 completion percentage. Expect similar results for Herbert along with 2 passing touchdowns.

Sit ‘Em

Aaron Rodgers (vs. Buf) – Rodgers has a tough matchup in his opening game with the New York Jets. The Jets offensive line will be tested all game long and even without Von Miller the Bills will be able to generate pressure. Rodgers struggled last year at Buffalo when he threw for just 203 yards.

Running Backs

Start ‘Em

Aaron Jones (vs. Chi) – Jones is in for a big day when the Packers visit the Chicago Bears. Green Bay is dealing with injuries to their top 2 receivers (Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs) which means more targets for Jones. We don’t know what to expect yet from Jordan Love but the Packers will likely rely on the run game in this one.

Sit ’em

Najee Harris (vs. SF) – Harris and the Pittsburgh Steelers have a tough opening matchup against the 49ers and their stout defense. San Francisco allowed only 3.4 YPC in 2022 and they just got Nick Bosa back in action. The Steelers will need to attack the 49ers defense through the air to have a chance in this one.

Wide Receivers

Start ‘Em

Jahan Dotson (vs. Ari) – Dotson is no longer under the radar after his impressive rookie season in Washington. The Commanders get a juicy matchup against a Cardinals defense that will struggle all season. Fellow receiver Terry McLaurin looks to be ready to play but he may not be 100% yet.

Sit ‘Em

DeAndre Hopkins (vs. NO) – We don’t know yet what to expect from Hopkins in this Titans offense. I plan to wait and see how he’s utilized before I put him in the starting lineup. The Saints will have a better-than-average defense this year and will be tough at home.

Tight Ends

Start ‘Em

Evan Engram (vs. IND) – It could be a long day for the Indianapolis Colts when Jacksonville comes to town. The Colts will need to play keep away to have any chance in this one. Expect Engram to have a big day against the Colts who struggled at times to stop tight ends in 2022.

Sit ‘Em

Kyle Pitts (vs. Car) – After a disastrous 2022 it’s hard to put your trust in Pitts. The Panthers finished in the top 10 in points allowed to tight ends last year. That along with the fact we don’t know what to expect from Desmond Ridder has me sitting Pitts this week.

Start of the Week

Jamaal Williams (vs. Ten) – Williams is a must-start for week 1. With Alvin Kamara sidelined due to suspension Williams will get the majority of the workload against the Titans. I don’t expect to see that many touches from rookie Kendre Miller until he gets up to speed. Don’t forget, Williams led the league with 17 rushing touchdowns last year.

The post 2023-24 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Week 1 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

PRESEASON EXPECTATIONS

After coming off a top 3 RB finish in 2021, a lot of hype was surrounding Najee Harris. The Steelers have been known to run the ball often so their RBs provide value. What makes Harris even better is his ability to catch the ball, especially for PPR leagues.

DRAFT EXPECTATIONS

Najee Harris had big fans in fantasy as his ADP was 13.3, or basically a late 1st/early 2nd round pick. He was the 5th highest RB with the ones above him being the elite RBs in football. Owners were excited to have him as he would provide stability in an unpredictable position.

OVERALL SEASON PRODUCTION

After ending the year as the 3rd best RB fantasy-wise in 2021, Najee ended the year 14th. For the first eight games of the season, he was steady but not enough. The most he had was 13.90 FP and 74 rushing yards. He had three TDs that span before the bye. After the bye, he was mostly steady with two breakout games where he scored more than 20 FP. He was getting more rushing TDs and was developing a connection with Kenny Pickett.

CRITICAL MOMENTS DURING THE SEASON

Week 11 vs Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals and the Steelers were in a shootout in Week 11. Najee Harris played his best game of the year when he rushed for 90 yards in 20 carries and two TDs. He ended the game with 27.60 FP. This performance showed his owners that he could still be a reliable option in fantasy.

Week 17 vs Baltimore Ravens

The Steelers played the Ravens in a must-win game in Week 17. The Steelers needed to win all their games to have a chance at the playoffs. On the ground, he rushed 22 times for 111 yards. On the passing game, he caught the game-winning TD with a minute left for 10 yards.

The post 2022-2023 Fantasy Football Review: Najee Harris appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The fantasy football action has only just begun. Heading into Week 6, there has certainly been a lot of fun running back performances. However, there are some RBs that have left fantasy owners scratching their heads. With that said, I’m going to outline five RBs that are honestly overrated right now.

Aaron Jones

The Green Bay Packers veteran RB Aaron Jones may be averaging 6.3 YPC, but he has only mustered out two total touchdowns this season. It’s well-noted that the bowling ball AJ Dillon hasn’t been a friendly face to Jones, as well. Dillon has had 63 carries on the season thus far. It doesn’t appear that Jones’s all-around ability can help him return to the Pro Bowl.

Michael Carter

The New York Jets RB group is whole-heartedly led by former Iowa State legend Breece Hall, who set the franchise record for total yards (197) in a game by a Jets rookie last Sunday. Hall Meanwhile, the 2021 fourth-round draft pick Michael Carter hasn’t been a fabulous RB (158 rushing yds, 3.4 YPC, and 2 rushing TDs). Hall has 56 carries, while Carter has 47 so far.

Melvin Gordon

It seemed like the Broncos were in possession of a lethal 1-2 punch at RB after Melvin Gordon re-signed this off-season. Well, father time may be finally catching up to the former Wisconsin legend. Gordon has sadly run for one touchdown on the season and 193 rushing yards (while averaging 3.7 YPC). Javonte Williams will be out for the season, so perhaps Gordon can find a way to be more effective with a larger load.

Najee Harris

It’s hard to ignore the lack of positive direction from Najee Harris right now. He ran for 20 yards on 11 carries last week & he’s also accumulated 222 rushing yds on 69 rushes, too. Furthermore, he’s only notched 1 rushing TD. It doesn’t appear that he will return to being a 1,200+ yard runner & Pro Bowler soon.

Joe Mixon

The star RB for Cincy, Joe Mixon, hasn’t been his usual powerful self this season, to say the least. Mixon has merely run for 302 yards on 96 carries & 1 TD. His offensive line that added Alex Cappa and La’el Collins this prior summer hasn’t been a positive asset to his abilities, too. I hope the continuity between the Bengals OL can improve soon. Dynasty owners of Mixon may want to be bold with him, too.

The post Fantasy: 5 overrated RBs appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

Warrior (2011)

It could be said that the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals have a rivalry similar to the two brothers, Tommy and Brendan, in Warrior. It was certainly a blood-bath between Cincy and the Steelers today, too. The Steelers (somewhat surprisingly) came out with the victory over the reigning AFC Champions (Bengals) in overtime by a score of 23-20. With that enunciated, I’m going to untwine five takeaways from the Steelers-Bengals showdown.

• T.J. Watt

T.J. Watt was one of the heroes in the Steelers victory by way of obtaining a sack and an interception. The biggest storyline for Watt is still his devasting injury that occurred in the contest. The Steelers believe he suffered a torn pectoral — which would likely place him on the sidelines for three-to-four months.

• Joe Burrow

Did Joe Burrow drink the cool-ade this off-season? The Bengals polarizing QB ousted an absolute dreadful four interceptions on Sunday. According to ESPN, he is the second QB in the past 20 years to turn the ball over four times in the first half. His OL didn’t exactly help him – as he was sacked a whopping seven times. I still am confused that Burrow pressured himself into making countless, silly errors. The Bengals were honestly lucky to lose the AFC North showdown by only three points.

• Ja’Marr Chase

Burrow may have been a disaster on the field today, but the other former LSU legend in Ja’Marr Chase had a quality performance (10 catches for 129 yards). The reigning Offensive Rookie of The Year also had a game-tieing TD catch with two seconds remaining.

• Minkah Fitzpatrick

In a week where Jalen Ramsey and Marshon Lattimore looked half-asleep, the Steelers safety, Minkah Fitzpatrick, played like his true self. Fitzpatrick had a pick-six on Burrow early in the showdown & he also had 14 tackles. Furthermore, Fitzpatrick blocked the extra attempt in the final moments. Fitzpatrick absolutely looks like a darkhorse DPOY candidate at this point.

• Najee Harris

It was surprising that the Steelers won with a struggling rushing outcome by Najee Harris in Week 1. The Steelers second-year RB registered 10 rushing attempts for 23 yards. Although, he did haul in a touchdown grab from his motivated QB. Unfortunately, he will also miss game-time from an injury (as he will likely miss 2-3 games with an ankle injury).

The post 5 takeaways from the Steelers-Bengals showdown appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Christian Esparza

If you are serious about winning your fantasy football league, you need to know which players to take and which ones to avoid. Of course, that’s a lot easier said than done. It’s impossible to know for certain who will and won’t perform on Sundays, but it can be said that some players do carry more risk than others. Here is a list of five players whose risk outweighs their reward in 2022. 

5. Tom Brady or his receivers

We start things off with sort of a gimme, grouping Tom Brady, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Russell Gage and Julio Jones into one. But there’s reason(s) to be weary of what is going on in Tampa Bay right now. 

First off, Brady is taking a 10-day absence from training camp to “deal with personal things.” The absence was reportedly pre-approved by the Head Coach Todd Bowles, so what’s the issue? Well first off, Brady is notorious for being more prepared than any other player on the field. He has never been one to miss time for personal matters; this is a new territory. Him being away takes away reps with his receivers, including new additions Gage and Jones. With Brady now 45 years old, it is fair to wonder if this is the worst possible time of the year for him to take time off. 

As if that was not enough, none of Evans, Godwin and Gage are fully healthy. Evans and Gage are dealing with hamstring issues ”“ which have a tendency to be naggy throughout the season ”“ while Godwin is coming off a torn ACL. The only healthy one here is the 33-year old Jones who has dealt with his fair share of injuries in the past. Not to say they will be “bad” picks, but Evans and Godwin especially won’t be the fantasy players they have been in years’ past. Take a Bucs receiver at your own risk. 

4. Aaron Rodgers

The back-to-back MVP finished third in points scored among quarterbacks in 2020, and fifth in 2021. Rodgers is currently the seventh ranked quarterback in ESPN leagues with an average draft position of 75, but Rodgers may not even crack the top-10 this year. One of the biggest storylines of the entire offseason was Green Bay trading away Davante Adams, who of course was Rodgers’s favorite target. While it’s very unlikely losing Adams will make the Packers a bad team, or Rodgers a bad quarterback, I would feel very uncomfortable with him as my QB1 in fantasy football. There are several other quarterbacks you should consider taking instead of Rodgers. 

3. Derrick Henry

Henry was one of the most dominant players in 2019 and 2020, totaling over 3,500 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns over those two seasons. He was on pace to continue his carnage in 2021, until he suffered a Jones fracture in his foot that caused him to miss nine games. There is a lot of speculation regarding this injury, and if it could have been caused over time by all the carries Henry has accrued since high school. If it was indeed a stress fracture, Henry could see his production rapidly decline. To make his situation even worse, the Titans traded away star receiver A.J. Brown, leaving aging veterans and unproven young players as Tennessee’s only receiving threats. Henry could see a lot of stacked boxes in 2022. Take someone else in the first round. 

2. Najee Harris

Harris finished as RB4 overall in 2021 thanks to his insane volume. He led the NFL with 381 total touches, but he really didn’t perform as well as he should have. Harris only averaged 3.9 yards per carry and 6.3 yards per reception for a grand total of 4.4 yards per touch on his way to 1,667 scrimmage yards. For reference, Ezekiel Elliot also led the league with 381 total touches in 2018. Elliot was able to put up 2001 total yards on 5.3 yards per touch, over 300 more yards on the same amount of touches. 

Of course, Harris was a rookie. Much of his first season was spent adjusting to the speed of the NFL and learning the scheme at full speed. While he is unquestionably the bell-cow back in Pittsburgh, it is unlikely he reaches close to that same volume in 2022.  Harris led the league with 34 checkdown targets last season, a product of playing with an aging Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers also drafted George Pickens, giving them another target besides Dionte Johnson and Chase Claypool in the passing game. It’s highly unlikely that Najee Harris repeats as a top-five fantasy back in 2022. 

1. Javonte Williams

Another running back entering their second year in the NFL, this is a classic case of having the talent but not having the situation. If you are a dynasty player, go ahead and stop reading now because this does not apply to you. Williams has the potential to be one of the top fantasy backs in the league, just not in 2022. 

Currently being drafted as RB12 in ESPN leagues at an ADP of 26, Williams is being taken far too early for his situation. When the 2021 season ended, it looked like Williams would be the primary back for the Denver Broncos from here on out. But then they brought back Melvin Gordon III in free agency, who finished with more points than Williams last year. 

Of course, Gordon III is another year older while Williams appears primed to break out, but that is not the case just yet. They brought Gordon III back for a reason, and the two have been splitting reps all camp. While the two won’t split carries exactly 50/50 like they did last year, it seems like 65/35 is the highest percentage Javonte Williams will get. That would have been only 263 of 406 carries last season; not a great number for a player who does not offer much receiving upside. 

Another point to look to is how Denver Head Coach Nathaniel Hackett utilized his running backs while in Green Bay. In 2021, AJ Dillon actually finished with more carries than Aaron Jones, due to the latter missing games with injuries. Those missed games aside, and the two split relatively evenly. Again, even if Gordon III does not split evenly with Williams, he will eat away enough to make you regret drafting Williams in the third round. 

The post Five big fantasy risks in 2022 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Brady Akins

There’s nothing more exciting than a fantasy football rookie. And among all the rookies from the 2021 Draft class, there might be no rookie more exciting than the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first-round pick, Najee Harris.

Harris, the running back out of Alabama, has the tall task of turning around the Pittsburgh Steelers dreadful rushing offense from 2020– something he could definitely do if all goes right.

The question then becomes less of can he turn it around, and more of will he turn things around.

Well, maybe. Let’s see.

Optimistic: 

You would be hard-pressed to find a rookie running back with more talent than Najee Harris. For that matter, you might struggle to find many running backs at all with more pure talent than the former Alabama standout.

The Steelers’ first-round pick excelled in college as a powerful, athletic, dual-threat player at running back– with a penchant for explosive running and a nose for the endzone. Anchoring that to specific stats, Harris finished his final two seasons in college with a combined 2,690 rushing yards on 5.8 yards per carry, 39 rushing touchdowns, 70 catches, 729 yards and 11 receiving touchdowns.

Just about everything you would want from a potential fantasy RB1. 

And, without question, Harris’ ceiling, even as a rookie, should be set at high-end RB1. Not only because of his skill and college resume, but because of the opportunity he should get.

The Steelers have made a habit over the years of maximizing the potential of their skill position players– with the running back position standing out as evidence. LeVeon Bell, the former Pittsburgh star running back, wrapped up his Steelers’ tenure with two All-Pro seasons and three Pro Bowl appearances. In the two seasons he’s played since then, he’s combined for 1,117 rushing yards on 327 carries– just 3.4 yards per attempt. 

Pittsburgh elevated Bell to All-Pro heights, and with the word around training camp being the Steelers want to make Harris a dedicated three-down, every situation running back, they can do the same for their rookie.

Pessimistic:

Harris can play the role of three-down back all he wants, it won’t matter if he doesn’t get the touches.

For as talented as Harris is, he now finds himself on a Pittsburgh offense that featured an abominable rushing attack last season. In 2020, the Steelers finished bottom five in the NFL in total rushing attempts, last in rushing yards by over 100, and last in yards per attempt at a lowly 3.6.

While it’s true that the Steelers lacked a true running back talent like Harris, they also weren’t putting their backs in positions to succeed either, trotting out an offensive line that finished 24th in ESPN’s run block win rate metric– and lost just about every starter from an already below-average position group. 

That’s a far cry from Harris’ luxurious lifestyle in Alabama, with an offensive line so good it saw three of its five starters get selected in the 2021 NFL Draft. 

For as good as his numbers were in 2020, Harris hasn’t had to deal with adversity as much as he will in Pittsburgh. Things could turn sour in an unexpected flash for Harris.

Realistic: 

Harris’ offensive situation is”¦ less than ideal. Playing for an offensive line that will likely feature five new starters, and for an offense that ran the ball worse than any other team in 2020, in big part by a ”˜quick pass early and often’ design.

Expecting Harris to put up numbers similar to what he produced at Alabama would be criminally insane. Even if he is a three-down back as advertised, that doesn’t mean he’ll be getting the same volume as other such backs like Christian McCaffrey, who’s averaged 25 touches per game in each of his last two seasons. 

And that’s the gold standard for running backs. McCaffrey is the pinnacle of volume monsters, and he plays on an offense where just about everything runs through him. If the Steelers don’t make dramatic changes to their offensive philosophy, Harris won’t come anything close to that.

With all that said”¦ 

Harris is too good to not overcome the issues plaguing the Steelers. Even with poor run blocking, Harris’ potential as a receiver will keep him a factor in the offense. While his skill as a runner might be good enough at times to overcome an onslaught of defenders blasting through an inexperienced offensive line.

Maybe don’t expect Harris to be the second coming of Marshall Faulk from day one– but he can still be a quality contributor to the Steelers offense, and your fantasy offense as well.

The post What are the realistic expectations for Najee Harris? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.