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Pittsburgh Steelers RB Najee Harris had a fantastic rookie year. However, should his supposed weight gain alarm fantasy football managers?
Najee Harris was one of the most sought-after rookies in fantasy football heading into last season. After an efficient collegiate career at Alabama, the Steelers selected him with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
It certainly didn't take him long to emerge as one of the league's top running backs, and he eventually finished his inaugural year by rushing for 1,200 yards on 307 attempts. He also caught 74 of his 94 targets for 467 yards while collecting 10 total touchdowns. Oh, and he made the Pro Bowl.
As Harris enters his second season, he has received even more hype from the fantasy community and will likely go before the end of the second round in drafts heading into September. However, despite his expected fantasy contributions on the field, his offseason has been overshadowed by a lingering question: Did he gain weight, and will this slow him down?
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Did Najee Harris Gain Weight?
It depends on who is answering the question. The Steelers have their No. 1 backfield option listed at 232 pounds. He also has a player profile page when he was at Alabama, where it has him weighing an even slimmer 230 pounds as a senior. Considering he's also north of the 6-foot mark, he's not a small person, nor has he ever been.
But recent reports have the 24-year-old sitting at 244 pounds, an increase from previous publications, causing some to question his offseason conditioning regimen and commitment to taking care of his body. It has also made fantasy managers consider whether or not to use a valuable early draft pick on Harris heading into the 2022 campaign.
Is Najee Harris "Fat As Hell?"
Everyone seems preoccupied with this topic, with Harris reading and hearing the chatter throughout the offseason. However, he finally set the record straight in June while speaking with reporters.
Harris balked at the idea that he ever weighed 232 pounds during his time in the NFL, stating he hasn't been that light since his second-to-last game at Alabama. In fact, he reported he was north of the 240-pound mark throughout his entire rookie season, contradicting the information on Pittsburgh's website. While Harris appeared to be jovial and light-spirited toward reporters, he also acknowledged how the subject got under his skin, adding, "Ya'll making it seem like I'm fat as hell."
Does Harris' Weight Really Matter?
Everyone is different when it comes to how weight might impact their ability on the field, or in life in general, for that matter. For example, take Jerome Bettis, who made his mark by trucking through his opponents. The Hall of Famer played 15 or more regular season games 10 times throughout his 13-year career, so added bulk obviously wasn't an issue for him. For those who watched Bettis and others like Jamaal Lewis, Natrone Means and Ron Dayne mow down their adversaries over the years, having some beef isn't always bad.
Nevertheless, the Steelers may decrease Harris' workload in 2022, not because he's "fat as hell," but to preserve his health for many years ahead. Considering the sophomore finished last season with 30 broken tackles -- with Jonathan Taylor the only player to have more -- and third overall in yards after the catch with 675, he has an excellent chance of providing fantasy production while seeing a decreased snap count at the same time.
If he shows up to training camp looking like Peter Griffin, that would be a cause for concern. Still, even if Harris is more pleasingly plump, who cares? He's a world-class athlete and has an excellent chance of improving his fantasy output this season.
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