RB: Jonathan Taylor - IND

The biggest concern for Jonathan Taylor isn't when he's on the field; it's how much time he's off the field. Over the last two seasons, he has missed 13 combined games due to injuries, and unfortunately, that's just not cutting it. It makes people nervous trying to draft him.

We did see some things last season that help us feel maybe a little bit more comfortable heading into 2024. Last year, he missed the first four games to begin the season, and he was kind of eased back into it. Over his next two games, he finished as RB 24 in Week 6. After that, he finally took off and showed us the Jonathan Taylor of old. Over the next five weeks of the season, he finished as an RB1 three times and an RB2 twice. Again, when he's on the field, he's fine. But then he got hurt again and had to miss a few more games. Once again, we're sitting there saying, "Hey, we spent a draft pick on Jonathan Taylor; it's game time, we're in the fantasy playoffs, and I don't have him available."

To end the season, he looked really, really good. He ran for a rushing touchdown in three straight games. In Week 17 against Las Vegas, he ran for 96 yards, finishing as the RB2. In Week 18 against Houston, he ran for 188 yards, finishing as the RB3. It was good to see those strong performances to end the year, so there are no question marks about lingering injuries from last season. Heading into 2024, he should be okay as of right now. But again, drafting Jonathan Taylor brings its risks. He's missed a lot of time over the last couple of seasons. The last time we said that about a running back who had been dominant in the past, it was Christian McCaffrey, and he's been doing pretty well after some significant time missed as well.

This Indianapolis Colts offense fits him perfectly. If Anthony Richardson can stay healthy, those two in the backfield are going to be really, really tough to contain. Their wide receivers could be very good this season. Michael Pittman is as sure-handed as they come. Adonai Mitchell on the outside is going to bring some speed. With Josh Downs over the center of the field, teams are going to have a tough time stacking the box. Tossing Jelani Woods in at the tight end position as well, Indianapolis could be a dangerous offense in 2024. If they are, Jonathan Taylor should end up being a primary focus of it.