The Pittsburgh Steelers are right there in the thick of things in the AFC playoff race, and they have a chance for a big win tonight against the New England Patriots.
There is a big question for the Steelers before this game, and it’s the status of RB Najee Harris. He suffered a knee injury and has been a non-participant both Tuesday and Wednesday in practice. For fantasy football managers, should they expect the running back to be playing tonight?
Is Najee Harris Going To Play in Week 14?
Editor’s note: Harris is active for Thursday Night Football against the Patriots.
Still, we won’t know 100% until kickoff, but Pittsburgh is optimistic that Harris will be able to go, despite missing the last two practices. If this was a normal week for the Steelers, then he would be almost a lock to play on Sunday, but it is trickier because the game is on Thursday.
What is weird about this injury is that it wasn’t reported right after the game. It wasn’t until Tuesday that we knew anything about it.
Still, Harris did speak with reporters after Tuesday’s practice and didn’t indicate that he was going to miss the game.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
In the loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, he carried the ball 16 times for 63 yards. He also caught two passes for 14 yards. Harris has been a much bigger part of the offense recently, as he has rushed the ball at least 12 times in his last five games, averaging 15 carries per game in that span.
With QB Kenny Pickett out because of ankle surgery, the rushing game of the Steelers has become even more important. If Harris is healthy and can go, he could be in store for another high-volume game. But, if he isn’t able to go, who is up next for the Steelers?
Potential Fantasy Options if Harris is Out Include Jaylen Warren and Zack Moss
First and foremost, if Harris isn’t able to go, then you can still trust the Steelers’ other running back, Jaylen Warren. While Harris has performed at his best this season lately, you could make the argument that Warren has been even better.
Warren has rushed for at least 88 yards in three of his last five games, including two games with 101 and 129 yards. What has made him special is the yards per carry recently, as he is averaging 7.5 yards per carry in his last five games.
If Harris isn’t able to go, then Warren should 100% be in your lineup. With his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, Warren with Harris out could be a top-10 RB in Week 14.
If you need to go look somewhere else, look at RB Zack Moss of the Indianapolis Colts. With RB Jonathan Taylor out, Moss has shown throughout the year he is more than capable of being an RB1. Early in the year, he was putting up as good of numbers as any running back, and he could be in store for another big game, as the Colts try and stay in the AFC playoff race.
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