Is Colts’ Jonathan Taylor a Player You Should Target in a Trade?
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor was placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list just before the NFL’s regular season began. Players on the PUP list are eligible to return after four weeks, so with week 4 closing in, it’s time to take a look at Taylor.
We’ll discuss some of the recent news on Taylor, when he might play, who he might play for and how you approach him in your leagues.
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Jonathan Taylor Fantasy Outlook
Taylor has done nothing but produce for the Colts since stepping on the field in 2020. Unfortunately, like a lot of NFL backs these days, Taylor isn’t being compensated for his level of play, and it created a rift inside the Indy franchise.
Taylor is coming off a 2022 season in which he ran for 861 yards and four touchdowns on 192 attempts in 11 games. He added 143 yards on 28 receptions as a pass catcher.
Taylor’s best season was in 2021, when he went for 2,171 yards from scrimmage and scored 20 touchdowns. He had over 1,400 scrimmage yards and 12 total touchdowns as a rookie.
Fantasy owners were hoping for another big-time season from Taylor, but haven’t seen him in a game yet. When asked about Taylor, coach Shane Steichen provided a vague answer.
If some kind of plan was in place for Taylor, I don’t think this is the answer that would have been given. That means that unless the relationship between Taylor and the franchise is fixed, the talented back might not actually return when he is eligible.
For a while, there were trade rumors surrounding Taylor, but there hasn’t been much news on that front recently. There’s been several teams that have dealt with injuries at the running back position this season, but nothing with Taylor materialized. A team could swoop in in the next week or so and add Taylor, but it might take another big injury for that to happen.
The Colts aren’t exactly missing Taylor through three weeks, having gone 2-1 and seeing Zack Moss excel in his first two games of the season. Indy did release Deon Jackson before week 3, so it’s possible the plan is to simply activate Taylor when he’s eligible, but no such news has leaked.
Even though Taylor is the more experienced and talented back, it’s possible he and Moss would share the snaps and touches, especially early after Taylor returns. You’d expect Taylor to play well enough to take over the starting role as weeks passed by, but given the situation that’s developed, I’m not really sure what to expect.
What You Should do with Taylor
If you were one of the owners who drafted Taylor with one of your first picks, I’d suggest holding on to him unless a great offer comes along. There just is no clue as to when or who Taylor might be playing for, so I’m skeptical of giving him away before knowing the plan. Of course, if he continues to not play, then he’ll lose all value and you’ll get nothing, so that’s why I’d be open to trade offers for him.
I’d be more willing to move Taylor in a redraft league than I would in a dynasty league. When healthy, Taylor is one of the best backs in the league, and he’ll either get things worked out in Indy, or get on a team that utilizes him as a feature back at some point. If I’m trading him away in a redraft league, you’re probably going to be taking on a player that’s started poorly or is battling an injury.
If you are desperate for running back help, or have a hunch on how the Taylor situation will unfold, then now is a great time to trade for him. His stock is fairly low right now, and with all the questions surrounding him, you might be able to add him for cheap.
What to Offer for Taylor
Taylor sat at 23rd amongst running backs in our player ratings at the time of this publication. He’s around running backs that are fairly inconsistent fantasy performers, so a trade involving Taylor and one of the guys he’s near might actually work.
If you are interested in acquiring Taylor, I’d try trading away a player who is ranked below him at this point and who hasn’t been anything too special so far, like Alexander Mattison, Christian Watson or Isiah Pacheco. I’d avoid trading anyone currently ranked above him, because those guys have all been pretty solid so far.
If you own Taylor and want to trade him in fear of him not playing for several more weeks, or at all, I’d personally trade him for a couple of depth pieces. Unless you crushed the rest of your draft, not having Taylor probably means you are off to a slow start, so depth is probably what you need to get back on track. Opposing owners would also be much more likely to deal for Taylor if they aren’t giving up a star and aren’t hurting their starting lineups in the near future. In that kind of trade, you are probably looking at players below No. 100 in our rankings. Do some digging and see how you can round out your team.
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