Najee Harris was a stable staple stud in fantasy a few years back. But now there are some questions surrounding his fantasy relevance. As far as NFL running backs go he is helping the Steelers win football games. But when it comes to fantasy, we need points per player, and over the past few seasons, Najee Harris has not been the consistent force he once was. So that begs the question, is Najee Harris worth going for? We will delve into this and much more.
Najee Harris’s Future In Fantasy
Najee Harris’ fantasy future has been quite murky these past few seasons, and 2024 has not cleared that up in the slightest. We are still seeing double-digit touches when it comes to his workload, but nowhere near the receiving targets that he has put up in the past. As well as pay dirt has yet to be found in the red zone at any point this season. But the Pittsburgh Steelers are winning, so that means more and more opportunities for Najee Harris.
With very little competition coming for touches in the form of Aaron Shampklin or Jonathan Ward, there is little reason for the Steelers to try and shake things up in the backfield. As far as the future for this year, Najee will continue to get touches and volume equals a decent floor. But it is a very small gap between Najee Harris’s floor and his ceiling.
Najee Harris Outlook Past 2024
Najee Harris’s Outlook past the 2024 season doesn’t seem to be getting better. As his age will soon be a factor as 26 turns 27, he is starting to get past the age where players get better, especially at the Running back position. The quarterback situation is something to monitor as well. As currently Justin Fields is at the helm, and producing winning results, but it seems the play is to have Russell Wilson take over once healthy.
If Wilson is under center the Najee Harris stock goes down. If Fields remains at QB, then there are positive returns from Najee Harris as he has been average while Fields is playing. Research of crystal ball looking says that the Steelers will most likely be in the arena for a rookie RB come the 2025 season. Unless Najee can reinvent himself or find other means to be productive, then it is looking like his fantasy relevance is going downhill fast.
Najee Harris Value
The advice for those who are holding onto Harris for any number of reasons, or if they are just a die-hard Steeler fan, is to hopefully wait for a great game by Harris and then sell him for whatever you can get. In deeper dynasty leagues it would be better to go after not-so-big names that have more upside like Rico Dowdle, or young players that haven’t burst onto the scene Zach Charbonnet, and Tyler Allgeier to name a few.
If the league you are in is not budging on players, then take what you can get as far as picks go, maybe hope for a 2nd but settle for a third. The point is to sell when Najee Harris has a great game and then get all you can for him, but sell, sell, sell.
