Najee Harris has finished as an RB1 only once this season, though the past two games have looked more promising for the second-year back. Unfortunately, he had to leave Monday night’s win with an oblique injury. He now says he will play in Week 13, even after missing practice on Tuesday and Wednesday. Pittsburgh faces Atlanta in a juicy matchup for the running back, so will Najee Harris play in Week 13? Here’s where things stand.
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Najee Harris (oblique) says he will play in Week 13
Najee Harris said he is good and will play on Sunday against the Falcons.
Fantasy Impact
Harris missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday after leaving Monday’s game early. It is possible his workload is still limited, but his presence on the field means Jaylen Warren can’t be trusted in fantasy lineups this week.
Relevant News
- Najee Harris (oblique) remains sidelined at practice Thursday
- Najee Harris (oblique) sidelined at practice Wednesday
- Najee Harris (abdomen) avoids significant injury
What the Experts are Saying
Harris didn’t practice on Wednesday or Thursday before sneaking in a limited practice on Friday. He’s stated he’s good to go, but I’m still watching the wire for injury reports up to kickoff Sunday. Harris could play this week, but my spider sense is tingling that this is a smoke show by Pittsburgh. If you have Warren or another contingency plan, keep it locked in the chamber, ready to go. I don’t want to scramble at the last minute if he’s inactive come Sunday. In Weeks 1-11, Harris averaged 17.6 touches and 78.8 total yards. Harris is 47th in yards after contact per attempt and 37th in PFF’s elusive rating (minimum 25 carries). He hasn’t mustered a 100-yard rushing performance this year. Since Week 7, Atlanta is 29th in rushing yards per game, 27th in EPA per rush, and 23rd in fantasy points per game allowed to running backs. If Harris plays, he’s a risky RB2.
-Derek Brown
TBD. Lean towards playing. Oblique strains that don’t lead to surgery tend NOT to affect production on a per-play basis. Re-injury rates are moderately elevated (~15%), so we do see a more committee-based approach to touches. Tomlin’s teams don’t usually reflect that trend, but they’re also not usually 4-7 with nothing but pride to play for. We’d start Najee in season-long formats assuming he’s active, but avoid in DFS.
-Dr. Deepak Chona
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