When the Indianapolis Colts selected running back Jonathan Taylor in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the fantasy football community was torn with what that meant for Indy’s backfield.
On one hand, the Colts added an uber explosive talent to work behind the elite run-blocking offensive line. On another, it was immediately known that there would be a big timeshare at the top of the depth chart.
Still, there are plenty who believe Taylor is worth taking relatively early in drafts. With his average draft position (ADP) currently sitting in the sixth round as the RB29, ESPN’s Mike Clay believes there might not be any value taking him at that spot.
I get the hype on Taylor from a long-term standpoint, but the Colts’ backfield is far too crowded for him to pay off a top-30 ADP among running backs right now. Taylor will open his career sharing carries with Marlon Mack and without much of a role as a receiver (that’s Nyheim Hines’ gig). As well as Mack has run the ball, he has yet to manage a top-20 fantasy campaign in his career, and that was with only two backs in the fold. Like Nick Chubb two years ago, Taylor may explode onto the fantasy scene in the second half, but he’s hard to justify at his current ADP.
Taylor is certainly interesting for fantasy football purposes and while it is well known he is a commodity in dynasty leagues, it remains to be seen where he should be taken in redraft leagues.
As it stands right now, Taylor is my RB33. So he’s just beneath where he’s being drafted this offseason. He is in store for a productive season—I have him with 823 rushing yards and seven touchdowns—but his ceiling is capped because of the passing work that will likely go to Nyheim Hines.
The Colts are still committing to a timeshare with Mack on early downs and there is even a chance the latter gets an opportunity to prove he’s the leader in the room.
Even with the potential to blow up in the second half, Taylor is being drafted just ahead of where I have him ranked. There is a chance he blows up in the second half, but the Colts backfield will be messy regardless for fantasy managers.
