During Monday Night Football, Pittsburgh Steelers RB Najee Harris left the field with an abdomen injury, leaving fantasy football managers worried about his value going forward. Let’s take a look at the latest news surrounding Harris and the potential fantasy implications as managers start looking toward the playoffs.
Najee Harris Suffered an Abdominal Injury Monday
Harris was officially ruled out of Monday Night Football with an abdominal injury. Prior to the injury in the second quarter, Harris has been producing nicely for fantasy managers. The second-year back had 10 of the 18 rushing attempts from Steelers’ RBs and already had posted a double-digit fantasy performance in half-PPR scoring.
Unfortunately, Harris was not able to add that haul in the second half after he was reasonably quickly ruled out. We did not get much of an update after the game. Head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters that “He’s (Harris) being evaluated, so I don’t know the extent of that.” Tomlin then added, “I’m sure we’ll visit again tomorrow, and I’ll have more information for you there.”
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The diagnosis and severity of the injury will naturally determine the length of Harris’ absence. Right now, this could legitimately be anything from a return in Week 13 to the end of his 2022 season. With the Steelers sitting at 4-7 and a long shot to make the playoffs, there may be a real case to be made for shutting their 2021 first-round pick down and making sure he is good to go for next season.
Hopefully, we get a much clearer picture Tuesday so that we can evaluate the fantasy value of the rest of this backfield. However, if the Steelers do not have a firm answer when Tomlin speaks to the media Tuesday, fantasy managers could be left in limbo.
Fantasy Outlook for Harris, Jaylen Warren, Benny Snell, and Anthony McFarland
The situation with Harris is messy. The worst-case scenario for fantasy managers would be that he is not ruled out but plays in a limited capacity. It is already tough to judge whether Harris is worth starting on a week-to-week basis without having that picture made any murkier.
If Harris ends up playing on a limited basis, then his value will really lie in Underdog Fantasy Best Ball formats. Harris is always a threat to find the end zone for the Steelers, which offers a nice upside in those Best Ball formats. However, both his ceiling and floor have been hurt by this woeful Steelers offense and offensive line in 2022. Alternatively, if Harris is cleared, he goes back to being a touchdown-dependent Flex option in 12-team leagues.
However, it is if Harris is ruled out for a considerable time that things get interesting. Jaylen Warren had been seeing his role in the offense grow this season prior to his hamstring injury. He was out for the Steelers’ Week 12 Monday Night Football game, and his timetable going forward is unclear.
The rookie has shown enough pop that if he is active, he would be a 12-team Flex consideration going forward. Currently, Warren is only rostered in 8.5% of ESPN leagues. Therefore, he is an intriguing speculative stash this week, especially if we hear Harris could miss multiple weeks.
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In the absence of Harris and Warren, it was Benny Snell that stepped up as the lead back on Monday. He finished with 12 carries for 62 yards and one reception for six yards. Eight of those carries and the reception came in the second half. He was the clear lead option ahead of Anthony McFarland, who carried the ball just two times in the second half.
Therefore, Snell is also a player to consider adding on the waiver this week if Harris is projected to miss time. If Warren is out in Week 13, then Snell could be the Steelers’ lead back this week. Pittsburgh faces the Atlanta Falcons this week, who allow an average of 21.35 fantasy points to opposing RBs.
The Falcons have allowed 20 or more fantasy points in their past five games. That means if Harris and Warren are inactive, Snell could be a starting option in leagues of all sizes in Week 13. After managing to stay around in Pittsburgh by being a special team contributor, Snell could now be set to help fantasy managers as they set their eyes on the fantasy playoffs.
With Warren out, Anthony McFarland was elevated from the practice. He finished the game with six rushes for 30 yards and two receptions for 11 yards. With Harris and Warren both dealing with injuries, McFarland could either find himself on the 53-man roster or elevated again next week.
Right now, McFarland does not have considerable fantasy value, as he would be behind Snell in the pecking order. However, he may be worth a very deep-league add this week, just incase he finds himself in a position to contribute down the stretch.