There’s no one player that has more intrigue surrounding them going into the 2023 NFL season — especially from a fantasy football perspective — than Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor.
The former overall RB1 in fantasy back in 2021 has constantly been in the news over the past several weeks for a variety of reasons. We’ll break down what the latest news is here and how fantasy managers should be feeling about the talented RB heading into this season.
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What Happened to Jonathan Taylor?
Taylor suffered an ankle injury back in Week 15 last year that ended a disappointing 2022 campaign. After exploding for over 2,000 all-purpose yards and 20 total touchdowns in 2021, JT came crashing back down to earth in an abysmal offensive situation.
Jonathan Taylor ANGRY RUN. @jayt23
📺: #INDvsJAX on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/9Dbwnh03KL pic.twitter.com/rJtbC6bZ0p— NFL (@NFL) September 18, 2022
Heading into training camp this offseason, Taylor surveyed the NFL landscape and noticed how devalued the RB position was and decided to play the cards that he had available to him in an effort to receive a contract extension with the Colts.
Meanwhile, Taylor’s ankle injury apparently hadn’t fully recovered, and he’s spent time away from practice for the majority of the offseason for one reason or another.
However, just this past week, the Colts granted Taylor — and his agent — permission to orchestrate a trade with another NFL team. Taylor’s camp has until Tuesday, Aug. 29, to facilitate a deal, or the Colts will not grant Taylor’s trade request this season.
This either means that the talented RB is going to be playing elsewhere in 2023, which could mean his fantasy stock will soar through the roof compared to where it is right now, or he’ll be forced to face the music and play for the team he doesn’t want to this season.
Yet, there is a third option that fantasy managers simply do not want to hear: He may choose to not play at all this year.
Editor’s Note: The Colts were unable to find a trade partner and have placed JT on the PUP list to begin the season, which means he is now out at least four weeks.
What Are the Colts’ Options if Taylor Misses Time?
If Taylor is traded — or refuses to play for Indianapolis this season — the Colts will be forced to rely on a mixture of Deon Jackson, Zack Moss (who is currently recovering from a broken arm), and the rookie out of Northwestern, Evan Hull.
Moss could be back to start the regular season, but he hasn’t shown enough throughout his NFL career to warrant true consideration to be the workhorse option for this offense if Taylor is absent.
Jackson has had some splash moments in the past, but he faces questions about durability and whether or not he can handle a significant workload over 17 games. All the while, Hull is a complete unknown as the No. 176 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
It’s most likely that Jackson will take the lead role in this offense if Taylor were to stay away from the team or be traded, while Moss and Hull rotate in behind him. This means that Jackson is a fine dart throw in the final round of your fantasy football draft.
What Does This Mean for Taylor’s Fantasy Rankings?
Unfortunately, we simply do not have enough information at the time of writing to fully ascertain where Taylor should go in fantasy drafts. He could easily outperform his ADP if he winds up being traded to a situation like Buffalo or even Chicago, but it’s just as likely that he winds up in a timeshare someplace else that crushes his fantasy outlook.
Editor’s Note: Taylor plummets in the rankings with this news and he now becomes a very risky investment for fantasy managers in the first several rounds of fantasy football drafts.
Drafting JT in the first two rounds of fantasy drafts before we get confirmation of a trade is completely out of the question. However, as we move into Round 3 and beyond, it becomes a bit more intriguing due to the potential payoff.
MORE: 2023 RB Fantasy Football Rankings
Taylor must be drafted as the second RB on your roster. There’s simply no way you should feel comfortable adding him as your RB1, which is a player that you need to be able to rely on this season. However, as the second RB you draft, alongside a proven rock-solid option, there’s room to live with the potential miss.
This all comes down to how much you like to gamble. Are you a high-roller? Then walk up to the table, lay down a wad of cash, and hit the draft button on Taylor.