Najee Harris and Jonathan Taylor Impacting Week 15 Rankings

As we move into the fantasy football playoffs, fantasy managers need every last bit of information they can get to help them advance to the next round as they chase after a championship. What’s the latest injury news on Najee Harris and Jonathan Taylor as we head into Week 15?

Latest News and Injury Updates Impacting Fantasy

Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers

Harris is coming off of his worst rushing performance of the 2023 season with just 29 yards on 12 carries against the New England Patriots last Thursday night.

To be fair, Harris did not participate in practice all week heading into their matchup against the Pats due to a knee injury, which prompted Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin to address his running back’s limited preparation time in practice heading into Week 15.

“Guys like Isaac (Seumalo) and Najee (Harris), who were limited last week in preparation will probably have more extended in helmet preparation, which is critical on a big week,” said Tomlin. “We need in helmet perspective on prep. We need good days. And so, it’s a big component of what we do.”

This week, Harris was listed as a non-participant for Tuesday’s practice while still dealing with the knee injury.

The Steelers proved last week that Harris doesn’t have to practice in order to take the field on game day. But with Tomlin specifically saying Harris will probably see more time suited up in preparation for their game this week, it’s probable that he logs some practice time heading into their matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.

Harris continues to be in a timeshare with Jaylen Warren this year, but both players struggled mightily on Sunday with backup QB Mitchell Trubisky taking over under center for Kenny Pickett.

If Harris is good to go for Saturday against the Colts, then I would still have him inside my top 35 at the RB position. However, I would temper my expectations just in case that ailing knee is part of the reason why he was so ineffective against the Pats’ defense in Week 14.

However, if Harris is inactive against Indy, then Warren would immediately jump into the RB2 conversation with an expanded role.

Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts

The Colts’ rushing game has certainly missed Taylor over their last two games, with backup RB Zack Moss generating just 79 rushing yards on 32 carries.

A recent report from Ben Arthur is very bittersweet for fantasy managers of Taylor, with Colts head coach Shane Steichen confirming to reporters that the plan is for Taylor to play again this season. Yet, his status is still undetermined for Saturday’s game against the Steelers.

This should give fantasy managers hope that Taylor could still return at some point during the fantasy playoffs, but he may not be available for their first-round matchup in Week 15. The team’s injury report from Tuesday didn’t feel quite as optimistic by listing Taylor as a non-participant for practice while still dealing with a thumb injury.

MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor

Taylor was really starting to heat up prior to injuring his thumb against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in Week 12, scoring a touchdown in three straight games. If he’s able to return in Week 15, I would cautiously rank him inside my top 20 with the expectation he could still split work with Moss while at less than 100%.

However, if Taylor misses a third straight game due to this injury, then Moss once again is a top-15 RB option for another week, despite failing to live up to expectations recently.

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