RADIO
Damien Harris is a 2021 fantasy football draft sleeper at running back and an ADP draft value. Target Harris as an undervalued RB in fantasy football drafts.
BALLER MOVE: Target Around ~50 Overall
CURRENT ADP: ~75
ANALYSIS: Damien Harris is going into his third season and has solidified his role as the primary running back for the Patriots. Typically, the Patriots have been a nightmare backfield for fantasy. Just when we think we have the backfield figured out, head coach Bill Belichick throws a wrench into everything. However, I think this year will be different since their roles are locked in after Sony Michel was traded to the Los Angeles Rams.
Harris is the clear-cut RB1 who will dominate early downs and goal-line work, James White is the third-down/passing downs back, and preseason breakout rookie Rhamondre Stevenson has earned his place as the handcuff for Harris. Speaking of Harris, fantasy managers should draft him with confidence. He averaged 5.0 yards per carry last year while facing a league-leading 7.4 defenders in the box on average. That efficiency is equal to Dalvin Cook, Alvin Kamara, and Jonathan Taylor, and better than Chris Carson and Ezekiel Elliott. His efficiency is even more impressive when you take into account that he saw 99% of his touches on first and second down, and exactly 0 touches on third down.
This year should be even better for Harris now that the Patriots upgraded their offensive line and signed tight-ends Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry in free agency. Two tight-end sets will mean a lot of action for the running backs, and the Patriots were already 3rd in rush attempts last year. The major problem with Harris was that his upside was capped with Cam Newton under center because Newton handled the majority of goal-line carries. However, now that rookie quarterback Mac Jones has secured the starting role, and Newton is out of the picture, Harris gets a significant bump in fantasy projections because he will be the featured running back at the goal-line.
Remember when LeGarrette Blount had 18 rushing touchdowns, most of which came from inside the 10-yard line? I love targeting Harris as my RB3 or RB4 because the path to an RB2 finish is wide open, and his ADP still sits firmly in the seventh round at RB32. He will probably be closer to RB25 by the time the season starts, because ADP has not had enough time to adjust yet since the Michel trade and Newton getting released, but that is still excellent value for a running back who should see a floor of 225 carries on an offense that is no stranger to the red zone.
More Fantasy Football Values and Sleepers
Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups - Brashard Smith, Jaydon Blue, Kyle Monangai Fantasy Football Outlooks
Week 7 of the fantasy season featured several rookies logging career-high snaps and delivering their best performances as pros so far. We’ve reached that point in the season where the roles of these young players start to expand. Some of this year’s rookie running backs have struggled to earn consistent volume, but three in particular […]
Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups - Oronde Gadsden, Harold Fannin Jr., Juwan Johnson Fantasy Football Outlooks
Week 8 is the biggest bye week of the year, with a huge total of SIX teams getting the week off. With everyone's roster stretched thin, it's an important week to show off your depth or come up with a creative solution really quickly. One position where many managers may need help is at tight […]
Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups - Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike, Chris Moore Fantasy Football Outlooks
Every week in the NFL, more players go down with injuries, and with six teams on a bye for Week 8, you may need to get creative with your roster management. Even the best plans for your roster can unravel in a hurry, but don't worry, some new options are entering the mix as well. […]
Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups - Bam Knight, Tyler Allgeier, Brian Robinson Fantasy Football Outlooks
Productive running backs in fantasy football are a dime a dozen, and all those that have starting jobs are drafted in fantasy drafts. For the most part, their direct backups are too. But there are still quite a few that aren't, and they make for good pickups in fantasy football off the waiver wire. However, […]
Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups - Chris Godwin, Kendrick Bourne, Tre Tucker Fantasy Football Outlooks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin (fibula), San Francisco 49ers wideout Kendrick Bourne, and Las Vegas Raiders WR Tre Tucker have all seen their production affected by injuries to them or their teammates. This time of year, that's a common trope for waiver pickups. Injuries are one of the most important factors for how […]
Download Our Free Draft App
Like what you see? Be sure to also download our free fantasy football mobile app for iPhone and Android which includes more draft sleepers at very position, 24x7 player news, push notifications, injury alerts and daily articles.
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!
