We are now entering the fourth week of the 2022 NFL season. Daily practice reports are becoming longer and longer as injury updates pour in. Jonathan Taylor did not practice on Wednesday due to a toe issue. What is the latest on Taylor’s status, and should fantasy football managers be concerned about whether he will play on Sunday?
Jonathan Taylor injury update
Injuries are, by far, the worst part of fantasy football. Much like 16-year-old me playing Madden, I wish we could just turn them off. Unfortunately, the real world doesn’t work that way. Heading into Week 4, the injuries keep piling up, with more and more fantasy-relevant names banged up. Jonathan Taylor is among them.
Since being drafted in 2020, Taylor has missed just one game, which was due to Covid in his rookie season. He played all 17 games last season as well as the first three games of this season.
Jonathan Taylor missed practice on Wednesday
Over the past several years, Wednesday practice reports have become somewhat meaningless, as veterans frequently get the day off. If any player is even slightly banged up, coaches will hold him out, especially later in the season.
Taylor did not practice Wednesday due to a toe issue. Prior to this season, there were reports that Taylor would regularly receive rest days on Wednesday. It’s entirely possible this was just a rest day labeled as a toe issue. All it would take is for him to feel the slightest bit of discomfort in his toe and the Colts could justify listing it on the injury report.
Jonathan Taylor has been a fantasy RB1, but not an elite one
When fantasy managers made Taylor the consensus first overall pick in fantasy football, they expected more than what Taylor has provided thus far. Granted, it’s only three weeks, but Taylor’s 15.6 PPR fantasy points per game isn’t going to cut it.
Fortunately, there’s no real reason for concern when it comes to Taylor’s productivity. His 74% opportunity share is actually up from last season. He’s second amongst running backs in carries and 12th in targets. Taylor leads all backs in red zone touches with 12.
Taylor is going to be just fine and monster weeks are ahead. He just needs to score some more touchdowns.
Taylor has only found the end zone once this season. He scored 20 touchdowns last season. While he’s unlikely to reach 20 again, he’s going to average more than a touchdown every three games going forward. I’m confident in saying Taylor will end up finishing inside the top five at the position.
Will Jonathan Taylor play this Sunday?
You never like to see a player on the injury report, regardless of how minor it may be. Fortunately, Taylor is going to be just fine. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Taylor not practicing is purely precautionary.
ESPN’s Stephen Holder tweeted out that “Taylor is more likely to kick a puppy than miss this game.” He did make sure to clarify that “Jonathan Taylor would obviously never kick a puppy.”
All of this is to say fantasy managers can channel their inner Aaron Rodgers and R-E-L-A-X…at least if you roster Taylor. The same cannot be said about Christian McCaffrey or Dalvin Cook managers. But for Taylor, fantasy managers can count on their elite RB1 to be out there against the Titans this Sunday.