JonathanTaylor

News: 16 hours agoTaylor carried the ball 15 times for 45 yards and caught three of four targets for 37 yards in Sunday's 34-22 loss to Pittsburgh.

Spin: The Steelers were able to keep Taylor from hurting them, and most of the star RB's yardage came on a 24-yard pass from Daniel Jones in the second quarter and a 20-yard run in the fourth, the latter of which helped set up the fifth of Spencer Shrader's five field goals on the afternoon. It's the second time in the last three games that Taylor has fallen short of 90 scrimmage yards, as defenses have crowded the box and focused on stopping him while daring the Colts' depleted WR room to beat them over the top. Taylor should be able to find a little more success in Week 6 against the winless Titans.

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.