Last week Thursday on the newest version of The Fantasy Footballers Podcast, present hosts Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike Wright hit on the subject of potential fantasy “busts,” which are sometimes characterised as gamers that don’t carry out as much as the place their common draft place (ADP) is in fantasy soccer drafts earlier than the beginning of the common season.
During this episode, which is also featured on YouTube, the three hosts every decide a bust relative to the place they’re at the moment getting into drafts. Andy Holloway’s choice? Pittsburgh Steelers RB Najee Harris.
“Last year he finished as the RB4. He’s being drafted as the RB5, and look, it was a massive workload as a rookie. 307 carries. 74 receptions. The argument of him not paying off on draft value to me is an argument of odds. Can he repeat what he did?”
For the common season, Steelers rookie RB Najee Harris completed with 1,200 yards dashing and 7 touchdowns on 307 carries. He additionally had 74 receptions for an additional 467 yards and three touchdowns. Total of 381 whole touches for 1,667 yards. #Steelers #NFL
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) January 10, 2022
When it involves alternative, Najee Harris can have each alternative to repeat as a prime 5 working again in fantasy soccer in 2022. As the saying goes in fantasy soccer on the working again place, “Volume is King”. And as Holloway talked about, Harris obtained that quantity in giant quantities final season. He was second within the league in carries solely to Colts RB Jonathan Taylor and tacked on 74 receptions, totaling 381 touches within the common season.
Steelers, Najee Harris Discussing Lightening Workload In Second Season
Still, whereas there are involved that his general workload might drop this season amid the rumors that Pittsburgh could attempt to take him off the sector extra in 2022 to preserve his physique from additional punishment, Harris nonetheless figures to have one of many highest utilization charges of any working again in fantasy soccer.
Most Touches in a Season by a Rookie
Eric Dickerson: 441 (1983)
Edgerrin James: 431 (1999)
Curtis Martin: 398 (1995)
LaDainian Tomlinson: 398 (2001)
George Rogers: 394 (1981)
Najee Harris: 381 (2021)Shows why Steelers need to ease Najee’s workload. Got to protect these tires.
— Daniel Valente (@StatsGuyDaniel) June 8, 2022
However, the sticking level Holloway and the opposite Fantasy Footballers made in the course of the episode that really might be a priority for Harris in 2022 in regard to him repeating as a prime 5 RB in fantasy this season falls on an often-brought-up matter right here at Steelers Depot: effectivity.
“He wasn’t an efficient runner on the ground. Big runs are not Najee Harris’s forte. He doesn’t erase the concern of inefficiency to me. Six rookie running backs average less than four yards per carry with 250+ touches. Two of them were elite the next season. Le’Veon Bell and David Montgomery. The other four were pure busts. Trent Richardson, Zac Stacy, Leonard Fournette, and now you got Najee now. But that’s the question mark? Can the efficiency improve? Can the touchdown numbers go up if he doesn’t receive that massive 74 receptions and 400+ receiving yards?”
Najee Harris is on tempo to develop into the primary rookie with 250+ carries and a < 3.6 YPC common since Trent Richardson. He has only one run of 15+ yards since Week 6.
He hopes to vary each of these issues Sunday. #Steelers https://t.co/dkwddcGJYQ
— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) December 24, 2021
To be honest, Holloway and the opposite Footballers have Harris ranked as RB9, so it’s not like they’re predicting a horrible season for the second 12 months again. When it involves effectivity, the Fantasy Footballers have a robust argument. Najee Harris averaged 3.9 YPC final season behind an offensive line that struggled to open holes within the working sport, usually requiring Harris to create on his personal. While a proficient runner, Harris doesn’t possess that elite burst and open area pace that different backs like Derrick Henry, Nick Chubb, and Christian McCaffrey have on the place.
Never overlook when Derrick Henry went 99 yards to the home🔥pic.twitter.com/3WJIUXrnOw
— PointsBet Sportsbook (@PointsBetUSA) June 12, 2022
Harris completed above all these names final season in fantasy soccer, however all three missed time attributable to accidents. Should all of them play the identical variety of video games this season, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to see all three of them match or surpass Najee’s general fantasy manufacturing in 2022 attributable to their means to tear off explosive performs.
In Najee’s protection, the Steelers have made notable enhancements to the offensive line this offseason, including each James Daniels and Mason Cole to the inside to hopefully beef up the run sport. Harris additionally ought to do a greater job at executing as a runner in his second season, having higher consciousness to take what’s given to him and stand up the outlet rapidly, thus resulting in extra explosive runs.
There isn’t any denying that Najee should be a extra environment friendly runner in 2022, each for the offensive success of the Pittsburgh Steelers on offense in addition to to return worth for the place he’s going in fantasy soccer drafts. His bodily limitations as a runner cap that upside to be a dynamic menace on the bottom for Pittsburgh, however there shouldn’t be a purpose to anticipate him to enhance his run success charge from 2021 with higher play up entrance alongside the offensive line in addition to a hopefully extra open offensive assault.
SCORE BIG PLAY Najee Harris 37-yd TD rush#Browns 14 #Steelers 26 This autumn pic.twitter.com/pwTajwzgRG
— Sᴘᴏʀᴛs 24/7 (@Sports_24x7_) January 4, 2022
Do you assume that Najee Harris will probably be a fantasy bust in 2022? What is your reasoning for or towards that assertion? Does the potential lower in workload or inefficiencies as a runner concern you in comparison with different choices on the market on the RB place? Please depart your ideas within the feedback part under and thanks once more for studying!
