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After spending four seasons with the New England Patriots, running back Damien Harris found a new home this offseason. The Buffalo Bills signed Harris to a one-year, $1.7 million deal in March. Devin Singletary's departure from Buffalo opened the door for the 26-year-old to join the team.
James Cook is expected to lead the backfield in touches in 2023. But Harris is fighting for the RB2 job against veteran Latavius Murray. The ongoing battle has occurred all throughout training camp. However, the former Patriot did not practice on Wednesday, which could spell trouble for his chances of winning the position if he misses any time.
Is Harris injured or healthy? What is his fantasy outlook? Let's dive in.
Is Damien Harris Injured Or Healthy?
Harris missed six games in 2022 with various soft tissue injuries, but the running back has been healthy so far all offseason. That was until Tuesday's training camp practice. The 26-year-old left early with a knee injury and did not return to the field. He did work on the bike, though, which is encouraging.
On Wednesday, Harris remained out of practice. He did not partake in any field work, and the team says the absence is due to knee "soreness."
The knee issue doesn't appear to be serious for Harris, but the running back does have a history of injuries. He missed multiple games in his rookie season with a hamstring injury. Then in 2020, the former Alabama star missed six games with a hand fracture and high ankle sprain. Over the past two years, he has also missed eight games.
Damien Harris 2023 Fantasy Football Outlook
It's tough to evaluate Harris in fantasy football right now. We don't know if him or Murray will win the RB2 job and be Buffalo's short-yardage back this season. Whoever does win that role will have flex value in 14-plus team leagues due to the Bills' electric offense.
Assuming the younger back does win that RB2 job, he should be a borderline weekly flex play. The former 2019 third-round pick does have a 15-touchdown season in his career (2021), and he can replicate that success in Buffalo. The Bills will be in the red zone a lot this year, so Harris should have plenty of fantasy value -- assuming he is the goal-line back.
There's no reason to panic about Harris' injury just yet. The Bills don't play their first regular season game for another month, so the team is likely taking a cautious approach with the 26-year-old.
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