RADIO
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor was selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft and immediately won the starting job in his rookie season. He rushed for 1,169 yards on 232 carries (5.04 yards per carry) with 11 touchdowns behind an elite offensive line.
Then, Taylor followed his rookie campaign with an All-Pro season. He had 332 carries for 1,811 yards and 18 touchdowns in his second year. The young running back was set for another superstar season in 2022, but a nagging ankle injury hurt his overall numbers.
Can Taylor be the No. 1 overall pick for 2023 fantasy football? Should I pick him as the first pick in 2023 fantasy football drafts? Let's take a look.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:- Quarterback fantasy football rankings
- Running back fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
- Tight end fantasy football rankings
- Kicker fantasy football rankings
- FLEX fantasy football rankings
- Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
- Superflex fantasy football rankings
- IDP fantasy football rankings
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Jonathan Taylor 2022 Season
Taylor was almost the unanimous number-one pick in non-Superflex fantasy leagues last season. He was coming off an RB1 finish while averaging an impressive 21.7 PPR fantasy points per game. However, his 2022 season saw different results.
The 24-year-old running back played in just 11 games last season after dealing with an ankle injury that landed him on injured reserve to end the year. He rushed for a career-low 861 yards on 192 carries and four touchdowns. Taylor also finished as the RB33 in fantasy PPR formats.
It was a disappointing season for Taylor, and fantasy managers that selected him first overall probably didn't win their leagues. He didn't put up first-round numbers in most games that he played in, averaging just 13.3 PPR fantasy points in 2022.
Is Jonathan Taylor the No. 1 Overall Pick For 2023 Fantasy Football?
Putting aside his 2022 season, Taylor had an RB6 and RB1 finish in PPR formats in his first two NFL seasons. He has all the talent to finish as the top fantasy football running back again in 2023, especially with former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen as the new Colts head coach.
Last season, Steichen's offense in Philadelphia ran the ball at the fourth-highest rate (49.74%) in the NFL. In Taylor's 2021 career year, Indianapolis ran the ball 47.4% of the time. If Steichen can bring that high-run percentage to the Colts' offense, that will help the running back's value in 2023.
Of course, the Colts drafted quarterback Anthony Richardson with the fourth overall pick in the recent NFL Draft. But his inexperience could actually be a positive for Taylor. Indianapolis might be more willing to run in 2023 with the rookie under center – leading to more carries and opportunities for the All-Pro back. Taylor is a dynamic runner, and he already has an RB1 finish in his career. There's no reason he can't do it again in a likely run-first offense.
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
More Fantasy Football Analysis
