JonathanTaylor

News: 2 days agoTaylor rushed 19 times for 98 yards and two touchdowns and brought in three of four targets for 23 yards in the Colts' 41-23 loss to the Ravens on Sunday. He also lost a fumble.

Spin: Taylor and the Colts' offense as a whole got the new season off to a highly encouraging start, capping off a crisp opening drive with the star running back's one-yard touchdown run. Taylor would go on to add a three-yard scoring rush late in the first half after the Ravens had gone on to rattle off 28 straight points, with Taylor's fumble after a 14-yard reception leading to one of Baltimore's touchdowns. Outside of the turnover, Taylor's overall numbers in a game during which his rushing opportunities were capped late were still useful for fantasy managers, and he'll be slated for another prominent role in a Week 2 road showdown against the Chiefs next Sunday night.

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.