JonathanTaylor

News: 1 day agoTaylor was rested for the Colts' 25-16 loss to the Lions in Saturday's preseason finale.

Spin: Prior to the game, head coach Shane Steichen said that he planned on having all of the team's offensive starters minus Taylor and quarterback Daniel Jones take the field for 8-to-12 snaps, per JJ Stankevicz of the Colts' official site. Taylor didn't play in the prior two preseason contests either, as the Colts didn't want to risk an injury to their lead back in advance of the regular season. After missing at least three games every season from 2022 through 2024, the 27-year-old played a full 17-game slate in 2025, playing north of 70 percent of the offensive snaps in all but one of those contests while accounting for 20 touchdowns, amassing 1,585 yards on the ground and setting career highs with 46 receptions and 378 receiving yards. He'll be primed for another hefty workload in 2026, and the Colts are hopeful that Jones' return from a torn ACL can help Taylor avoid the decline in efficiency that he experienced after the Colts' Week 11 bye last season (3.3 yards per carry in his final seven games).

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Taylor enters the 2026 season having improved in fantasy points per game in each of the past three years. Last season, he delivered his best production since his huge 2021 campaign, as he paced the NFL in carries and TDs while finishing second in carries inside the 5-yard line (19) and fourth in fantasy points. A piece of the step forward was increased usage in the passing game, as he ranked in the top 10 among backs in routes, targets, catches and receiving yards, setting career highs in each. Taylor's season likely would've been even better had QB Daniel Jones not been injured, as the running back averaged 24.8 points with Jones but 12.9 without him. Jones is expected to be ready to play in Week 1, so the 27-year-old Taylor is safe to value as a mid- to high-end RB1.