Which Colts Running Back Do I Draft For Fantasy Football With Jonathan Taylor Out Four Games?

Roster cutdown day finally brought us some clarity to the Jonathan Taylor situation. For weeks, rumors were flying about whether the All-Pro running back would get traded and, if he did not, whether he would be healthy enough to play for the Indianapolis Colts.

The team did not trade Taylor on Tuesday despite a rumored offer from the Miami Dolphins. The 2021 rushing champion also did not get activated off of the PUP list, meaning he can not play in the first four games of the season.

Transactions (or lack thereof) leave Zack Moss, Deon Jackson, and rookie Evan Hull as the only three running backs on the Colts' roster. Someone will get a majority of the carries, but there is a lot of uncertainty about who that actually will be.

The Case For Zack Moss

Moss is returning from a broken arm and remains a question mark for Week 1. If he's healthy and ready to play (which seems plausible given the team's transactions), the veteran will likely get the first crack at touches. Following fumble issues from Jackson and another injury to Taylor, Moss took over the backfield late in 2022. From Week 15 through the end of the season, the ex-Bill averaged over 17 carries per game. Jackson only carried the rock six times per contest.

Moss is not the most appealing option. At this point in his career, the league and most fans recognize him as a plodder (under 50% rushing success rate and 32.9 yards per game), but opportunity is still as important as talent in fantasy football.

The Case For Deon Jackson

In four of the seven games that Jonathan Taylor sat or left early, Deon Jackson averaged 17.2 PPR fantasy points per game. His season peaked in Week 6 against Jacksonville with 121 yards from scrimmage, 10 catches, and a touchdown. His only notable performance after Moss was traded to the Colts came in Week 14 against Minnesota, but he was still benched during the game for the mid-season addition. Jackson can do a little bit of everything out of the backfield but doesn't excel at one aspect.

The Case For Evan Hull

Evan Hull is a fifth-round rookie out of Northwestern University who tallied 417 rushes for 1,922 yards and 12 touchdowns over his final two seasons. He was used extensively as a receiving option, earning over a 17% target share in his senior season.

During the preseason, with Moss and Taylor sitting, Hull and Jackson split carries with the Colts' first-team offense. Hull impressed in his touches, but fifth-round rookies don't often receive a bulk of the workload once the regular season begins.

Which Colts Running Back Do I Draft For Fantasy Football?

The Colts will surely take a committee approach to their backfield until (if) Taylor returns. Plus, quarterback Anthony Richardson will have run plays designed specifically for him. For running backs currently on the roster, Hull is the one to target based on potential upside and work in the passing game.

Fantasy managers should also monitor how Kareem Hunt, or another free agent running back, may factor in. Hunt already visited the Colts earlier this offseason, so there is some mutual interest. If he were to sign with the team before the start of the season, he could take over the lead role.

Jonathan Taylor could still be traded, but it would have to come before the NFL's trade deadline at the end of October. If there's no deal by then, the Colts could still use the franchise tag on Taylor and try to trade him again next offseason. There is still the possibility that Taylor will hold out and not play for the Colts at all this season.

More Fantasy Football Analysis