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RosterWatch provides dynasty football league news and updates all offseason, including a weekly look at value risers and fallers. This time, we look at rookie RBs Najee Harris, Travis Etienne, and Michael Carter.
This column was written by Alan Seslowsky (@alanseslowksy) and provided to RotoBaller by our friends at RosterWatch.
Each week, this column provides you with movement in the RosterWatch Dynasty Rankings. We highlight players who have gained or lost value recently.
Tracking these player value trends assists dynasty players in identifying opportunities to improve their rosters, as the landscape of the market is ever-changing.
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Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers
Age: 23
Movement: Just added
Previous Rank N/A
Updated Rank RB9
The case against Najee is that Pittsburgh’s offensive line is well below average. Benny Snell, The Steelers RB who had over 110 rush attempts in 2020, had one of the highest rates of contact behind the line of scrimmage last year. Simply stated that the offensive line was leaking. Najee Harris may have been a sub-optimal real-life NFL pick, but in fantasy football, we have to value the opportunity for a rookie RB.
Najee can safely be projected as a 22+ touch per game player who will not come off the field. The Steelers under Head Coach Mike Tomlin have leaned on a workhorse runner as long as they remained healthy. Harris is instantly a top ten RB for dynasty; as long as you understand he is a one contract RB. Don’t overthink it; draft Harris and enjoy the ride for the next 3-4 seasons.
Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars
Age: 22
Movement: Just added
Previous Rank N/A
Updated Rank RB11
Travis Etienne is being undervalued in early rookie drafts. It is common to see him fall to 1.8 in Superflex rookie league drafts. In startups that include both veterans and rookies, Etienne is getting drafted after Derrick Henry, JK Dobbins, and Aaron Jones. All three should likely be ranked ahead of Travis Etienne for redraft, but this is where dynasty diverges from season-long leagues. The landing spot in Jacksonville is being perceived as a bad one for fantasy. The market views last year’s RB5 overall, James Robinson, as a major problem for Etienne.
Those who have watched Travis Etienne dominate college football never believed he was going to be a workhorse RB. Etienne’s value comes from his elite pass-catching ability. Fantasy football hall of Famer, Jamaal Charles, produced at a high level on 12-15 touches per game RB. In his peak, Charles was a top-three overall fantasy pick. If you are a proponent of Travis Etienne, it is best to think of his future usage like Charles. The pro-Travis case is that he has first-round draft capital and is playing with the same (elite) college QB prospect that fed him the ball at Clemson. Etienne will have instant chemistry with Trevor Lawrence.
Michael Carter, New York Jets
Age: 22
Movement: Just added
Previous Rank N/A
Updated Rank RB23
There is a strong case to be made that former North Carolina RB, Michael Carter, ended up in the second-best landing spot after Najee Harris. Carter walks into a New York Jets team that has a new coaching staff, elite QB prospect, refreshed WR core, and most importantly no entrenched starting RB. The perception of Carter is that he is a “James White” pass-catching specialist who backed up then-teammate Javonte Williams at North Carolina.
A quick Google search of the stats shows that Carter outperformed the highly touted Javonte Willaims in both rushing yards and efficiency. Carter also caught 25 passes in a shortened 2020 season. The knock on Carter is that his size of 5’8” and 201lbs preclude him from being a 20+ touch per game RB. Carter should walk into an immediate role and is worthy of a top 25 RB selection.
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