Dynasty Player Profile: Jonathan Taylor (2022 Fantasy Football)

Can words even do justice to what Jonathan Taylor achieved in 2021? After an impressive rookie campaign, Taylor broke through better than even his most optimistic supporters could have imagined. He rushed for 1,811 yards and scored 18 touchdowns. In a year where the top-tier running backs went down like flies, Taylor was outstanding and deserving of being the fantasy football MVP.

Jonathan Taylor 2021 Production

Career Contextualization

The question now is whether Taylor can ever top his sophomore season. He'll enter 2022 as the unanimous top running back in both redraft and dynasty formats. And at just 23-years-old, there's reason to believe Taylor could be one of the greatest running backs ever.

This season wasn't a fluke, but how much better can it get? Taylor could certainly post similar yardage totals, but scoring 20 total touchdowns is hard to sustain annually.

Current Situation

The Colts will have a new quarterback under center in 2022, as Matt Ryan was acquired via trade to replace Carson Wentz, who was shipped to Washington. Ryan offers more stability than the turnover-prone Wentz. He'll command more respect from opposing defenses, and he was an MVP not long ago.

But Ryan's arrival won't make the Indianapolis offense transcendent. The passing game is still a question mark, as the Colts have no proven receivers outside of Michael Pittman. In addition, opposing defenses will still likely stack the box more often than not to keep Taylor from breaking past the line of scrimmage.

The Colts will have a couple of new starters on the offensive line, but this unit remains one of the best in the NFL as long as center Ryan Kelly and guard Quenton Nelson are healthy. Indianapolis' offensive line is as sturdy as it gets. But the Dallas Cowboys are a recent example of how quickly an offensive line can collapse. It's not likely to happen in 2022, but it's plausible.

General Prediction for 2022 and Rest of Career

I'm going to suggest something that might be somewhat controversial. Now might be the best time to sell Jonathan Taylor. I don't want to be misconstrued, and I don't want to receive hateful tweets saying I'm crazy for demanding you sell the league's top running back, who is only 23-years-old.

Taylor is fantastic, and he's a foundational building block for any dynasty team. I'd only sell him for a king's ransom. But let's remember the general fragility of the running back position. Let's remember how quickly running backs depreciate in value in dynasty leagues. And let's be mindful that there's a non-zero chance that 2021 is the best season Taylor ever achieves.

If you can get a haul for Taylor and aren't looking to contend in 2022, then selling him at his all-time high isn't a bad idea. So what would that haul look like? In a one QB league, something like J.K. Dobbins, Tee Higgins and a late 2022 first-round pick or early second-round pick would be an incredible haul. However, in a SuperFlex league, I'd prefer to get a Justin Fields or Trevor Lawrence.

Taylor will likely finish as a top-three running back if he plays a full season. Whether he serves as the bell cow for your team or a juicy trade piece, Taylor is one of the most valuable players in dynasty leagues right now.

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