Fantasy football: Where to draft Pittsburgh Steelers RB Najee Harris

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Pittsburgh Steelers RB Najee Harris was drafted No. 24 overall in 2021 with high expectations to be their workhorse. He touched the ball nearly 400 times in his 1st season, but his role has been reduced each season since. Harris has all the physical tools, but the production has not been what the Steelers had hoped when using their 1st-round draft capital. Below, we look at Najee Harris’ 2024 fantasy football average draft position (ADP) and where you should draft him.

Entering 2024, Harris has seen a decline in opportunity share over the past 3 seasons, dropping from 1st among RBs in 2021 to 20th in 2023. RB Jaylen Warren has emerged as the lead receiving back, outperforming Harris in yards per catch, yards per carry and missed tackles forced. Despite this, Harris maintained a strong red-zone role, improving his efficiency metrics across the board and increasing his carries inside the 20, 10, and 5-yard lines.

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Najee Harris’ ADP: 71.94

(ADP data courtesy of MyFantasyLeague.com; last updated at time of this publishing – ADPs continually change as more drafts occur)

Harris’ 71.94 ADP in redraft leagues places him in the range of the 6th to 8th round, depending on the size of the league. His ADP is a bit better than Warren’s (89.73).

Among running backs, Warren’s ADP puts him 24th at the position. He’s just ahead of Carolina’s Jonathon Brooks (72.06) and Miami’s Raheem Mostert (72.09), while he’s just behind Minnesota’s Aaron Jones (67.69), Chicago’s D’Andre Swift (66.12) and Las Vegas’ Zamir White (63.57).

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Najee Harris’ 2023-24 stats

Games: 17

Carries | rushing yards: 255 | 1,035

Rushing touchdowns: 8

Receptions | receiving yards: 29 | 170

Receiving touchdowns: 0

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Where should you draft Harris?

Harris enters the season as a low-upside RB3 in a Pittsburgh offense that remains uninspiring despite a new offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith. While Smith’s arrival might help Harris slightly, Warren’s increased role —especially in the passing game — limits Harris’ ceiling.

Smith’s offenses have historically leaned heavily on the run, which could benefit both Harris and Warren. Over the past 3 seasons, his Falcons ranked in the top 15 for total running back PPR points. However, Pittsburgh’s offense has struggled to move the ball and score, ranking 26th in total yards and points last season.

Warren’s emergence as the lead receiving back (74 targets to Harris’ 38 in 2023) likely won’t change, but Harris should continue handling goal-line work due to his size. His red-zone usage increased last season, and he improved his efficiency across several metrics. Still, Harris offers limited upside in PPR formats, given the overall inefficiency of the Steelers offense.

Harris can be a reliable option as an RB3, especially in non-PPR leagues, but don’t expect much excitement from him in 2024 as Pittsburgh’s offense likely remains middling.

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