Jonathan Taylor fantasy football insight from Hayden Winks - PPR Rankings

Taylor is the RB3 on RB3 overall usage over the past 3 seasons since coach Shane Steichen arrived. He's had low-end RB1 and elite RB1 moments depending on how smooth the QB play has been. Taylor was the RB19 on RB3 usage without Daniel Jones last year, but he was the RB1 overall (22.4 half PPR points) on RB2 usage with him through 13 weeks. If we exclude those 5 wobbly games with Jones playing on a broken leg, then Taylor jumps to 25.9 half PPR points per game. So what sample is best to use with Jones coming off a torn right achilles in 2026? Taylor is unlikely to repeat last year, as the Colts were 7th in points per game and 8th in EPA per play. They're currently project to be the No. 15 scoring offense per the betting markets. That's okay. Taylor will be top-5 in usage on an average offense, while in the prime of his career at 27 years old. An injured Jones is still tiers above 2025 Philip Rivers, and the Colts may need Taylor even more without Michael Pittman. Taylor can't be projected in the Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson tier because he was only the RB15 in receptions per game (2.7), but Taylor can get as hot as them if the Colts can catch fire like they did in 2025. He is appropriately priced as a mid 1st-round pick ahead of the James Cook and Ashton Jeanty tier of RBs. Taylor projects for 1249.5 rushing yards and 11.5 rushing touchdowns in the markets, while Cook (1199-10.5) and Jeanty (1030-10.5) sit a slight tier below.