Damien Harris Fantasy Football Outlook (2022)

By Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros), Thu, Sep 1st 2022, 10:27am EDT

Damien Harris' ADP has dropped nearly a full round since the NFL draft took place and it's unwarranted. All the Patriots did was draft two Day 3 running backs who will most likely be red-shirted their first seasons.

Harris should be the bellcow back for the Patriots in the final year of his contract as has been the case for many New England backs playing on expiring contracts. And should he see a heavy workload, there's going to be fantasy points to come by.

In 2021, Harris finished 2nd in carries inside the 10-yd line, second to only Jonathan Taylor. The former Alabama back also led all running backs during the 2021 regular season in fantasy points per snap.

As PFF's highest-graded running back (91.8) over the past two seasons, Harris needs to be held in extremely high regard. With one more year on his rookie deal, New England has all the incentive to ride Harris for the entire 2022 season.

Although there is some risk that he will be used in a 50/50 split with second-year back Rhamondre Stevenson. Stevenson (93) and Harris (86) split touches nearly 50/50 in the team's remaining seven games. In the six games they played together, Stevenson slightly edged out Harris in expected fantasy points per game (9.3 vs 8.9).