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In early August, Pittsburgh Steelers second-year running back Najee Harris suffered an apparent foot injury that forced him to miss multiple weeks of practice.
Harris saw some action in the Steelers' final preseason game and revealed afterward that he was recovering from a Lisfranc sprain. This midfoot injury may sound familiar. Most notably, Jaguars running back Travis Etienne sustained a Lisfranc tear last summer that sidelined him for the entire year.
With this in mind, it is fair to be concerned about Harris' outlook and availability for the start of the regular season. We know that Lisfranc injuries can be very serious. Harris is still being selected in the first round of drafts, so fantasy managers will have to decide early on if he is worth the risk.
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Is Najee Harris Currently Injured?
The typical recovery timeline for a Lisfranc sprain is about four to eight weeks, so it is extremely encouraging that Harris participated in the preseason finale less than four weeks following the injury. He admitted after the game that he felt a bit rusty, but he did play throughout the first half and saw seven total touches. The Steelers clearly weren't concerned with any potential for re-injury.
From NFL Now: #Steelers RB Najee Harris should be fine for the regular season after dealing with a Lisfranc sprain early on in preseason. pic.twitter.com/Nv2kBfI0C0
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 29, 2022
The distinction between a Lisfranc sprain and tear is important to note. Surgery was not required for Harris' sprain but was necessary to repair Etienne's severe injury last August. We have seen numerous players recover from minor Lisfranc injuries and go on to have incredibly productive seasons, including former Steeler Le'Veon Bell.
As a rookie in 2013, Bell was a top-10 fantasy running back on a points-per-game basis after suffering a midfoot sprain that kept him out for the first three weeks of the season.
Luckily, Harris's injury seems even less significant than Bell's. He should be 100% healthy heading into Week 1.
Should I Select Najee Harris In 2022 Fantasy Football Drafts?
As a first-round NFL draft selection, expectations were high for Najee Harris entering his rookie season in 2021. For fantasy football purposes, he delivered. Harris finished as the RB4 in half-PPR scoring, handling a whopping 307 carries for 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns. His 94 targets and 74 receptions led all running backs as he proved to be effective in the passing game.
Among starting quarterbacks last year, an aging Ben Roethlisberger was bottom-three in yards per attempt. The offensive line is a concern, but the team hopes to take a step forward in 2022 with either Mitchell Trubisky or rookie Kenny Pickett taking over under center. If the situation does not improve, however, Harris should still see the volume required to return value on a first-round fantasy investment.
Najee Harris reportedly could have a reduced role this next season.
That still is just fine because Harris played 980 total snaps in 2021 (!). The next highest RB was Ezekiel Elliott with 809.
Jonathan Taylor had 767 snaps.
— Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL) June 13, 2022
Despite some reports that Harris could cede touches to other Pittsburgh backs, head coach Mike Tomlin has historically shown that he prefers to utilize a workhorse RB1. Even if others get involved, it's hard to project Harris for much less than 20 touches per game.
Although his true ceiling may be capped by the effectiveness of Pittsburgh's offense, Harris is a locked-in fantasy RB1 based on volume alone. His talent could catapult him into a top-five positional finish and fantasy players should not have concerns drafting him within the first 12 picks.
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