Najee Harris
#1 RB,
Steelers
ACTUAL 2022
223 FPTS
RANK: 14
2023 SEASON
224 FPTS
RANK: 13
AGE
25 yrs
HEIGHT/WEIGHT
6'1'' / 232 lbs
COLLEGE
Alabama
| SEASON | GP | FPTS | RANK | RUATT | RUYD | RUTD | RUAVE | RECPT | REYD | RETD |
| 2023 | 16 | 224 | 13th | 261 | 1063 | 7 | 4.1 | 41 | 282 | 1 |
| 2022 | 17 | 223 | 14th | 272 | 1,034 | 7 | 3.8 | 41 | 229 | 3 |
| 3yr Ave | 17 | 301 | 2th | 307 | 1200 | 7 | 3.91 | 74 | 467 | 3 |
Modest output in win
Published: 2023-09-24
Harris took 19 carries for 65 yards while failing to bring in his lone target in Sunday's 23-18 win over the Raiders.
Harris' 19 rushing attempts Sunday surpassed the total from his first two games combined. This was due in large part to the Steelers' more-balanced offensive gameplan that featured 28 passes and 31 rushing attempts. Backup Jaylen Warren remained involved with 43 combined yards on 11 touches, but Harris ate up most of the early-down work amid rumors of losing touches following a slow start. Pittsburgh's starter struggled to find running room with the increased workload, but no player on either team averaged more than 3.7 yards per carry in what turned out to be a physical battle. Harris and his fantasy managers will be looking for carries closer to the end zone as he seeks his first touchdown of the season against the Texans next Sunday.
Weekly Stats 2022
Stats not availablePerformance Splits: 2020 to 2022
| Fantasy Points | Rushing Averages | Receiving Averages | ||||||||||||||||
| LOCATION | STADIUM | GP | GS | GM | TOUCH | RANK | YD | TD | AVE | YAC% | 10+ | 20+ | 50+ | REC | YD | TD | ||
| Home | Outdoor | 17 | 17 | 17.2 | 0.77 | 8th | 73 | 0.4 | 3.9 | 54% | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 3.8 | 27 | 0.2 | ||
| Away | Outdoor | 14 | 14 | 13.2 | 0.71 | 17th | 55 | 0.4 | 3.6 | 44% | 1.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 3.3 | 16 | 0.1 | ||
| Away | Dome | 1 | 1 | 25.4 | 1.10 | 5th | 94 | 1.0 | 4.7 | 61% | 3.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 10 | 1.0 | ||
| Away | Retractable Dome | 2 | 2 | 10.6 | 0.73 | 42nd | 61 | 0.5 | 4.5 | 55% | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 5 | 0.0 | ||
Career Stats by Season: 2021 to 2022
| Fantasy Points | Rushing Stats | Receiving Stats | ||||||||||||||||||
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | GP | GS | TOTAL | RANK | ATT | YD | TD | AVE | YAC% | 10+ | 20+ | 50+ | SHARE | REC | YD | TD | ||
| 2021 | 23 | PIT | 17 | 17 | 301 | 3rd | 307 | 1,200 | 7 | 3.9 | 56% | 28 | 6 | 0 | 75% | 74 | 467 | 3 | ||
| 2022 | 24 | PIT | 17 | 17 | 223 | 14th | 272 | 1,034 | 7 | 3.8 | 44% | 20 | 1 | 0 | 54% | 41 | 229 | 3 | ||
Could lose carries to Warren
Published: 2023-09-24
Harris is "still very much a big part" of the Steelers' plans, though Mike Garofolo of NFL Network relays that Jaylen Warren is expected to see more involvement in the running game in Sunday's matchup with the Raiders.
Even if Warren's role in Pittsburgh's ground attack expands as anticipated, Harris still appears likely to pace the Steelers in carries Week 3. However, Harris' standing as the Steelers' lead back hasn't translated to an abundance of touches through the first two weeks, as he's been limited to just 16 carries for 74 yards (4.6 average). Harris already appears to have lost out to Warren as the Steelers' primary pass-catching back, as the latter has drawn 12 targets to Harris' four between Weeks 1 and 2. A more favorable game script against the 1-1 Raiders could lead to more volume on the ground Sunday, but Harris' overall fantasy value still seems to be trending down at the moment.
Minimal output in win
Published: 2023-09-18
Harris rushed 10 times for 43 yards and caught his lone target for no gain in Monday's 26-22 win over Cleveland.
Pittsburgh's offense struggled to move the ball for most of this physical battle between division rivals, needing its defense to score twice in order to secure victory. Part of blame can be placed on Harris' inability to find running room outside of a 21-yard gain. Harris has now posted two duds to begin the season, but he retains value in his role as Pittsburgh's top backfield option. He will search for better results when the Steelers take on the Raiders in Week 3.
Logs six carries in blowout loss
Published: 2023-09-10
Harris rushed six times for 31 yards while securing both of his targets for two yards during the Steelers' 30-7 loss to the 49ers on Sunday.
Harris was reportedly on track to share playing time with Jaylen Warren ahead of Sunday's matchup, but neither running back got much work during the regular-season opener since the Steelers fell behind early. Harris should see more work in closer games, but it's possible Warren also garners a role in the offense after logging three carries against San Francisco. The Steelers have a more favorable matchup against the Browns on tap in Week 2, although Cincinnati's defense held the Bengals in check during the regular-season opener.
Gets more work than Warren
Published: 2023-08-24
Harris took four carries for 18 yards and a touchdown and caught one pass for 16 yards in Thursday's preseason game at Atlanta.
Harris and Jaylen Warren split snaps on the first-team offense over the first two drives Thursday night, with the latter taking two carries for 14 yards and a TD. Harris helped set up Warren's score with a 16-yard gain on a screen pass, after closing out the opening drive with a one-yard TD plunge. The usage in Thursday's game supports OC Matt Canada's recent statement that Warren's strong preseason hasn't changed anything in terms of Harris being the Steelers' top running back. They both get a challenging matchup Week 1 when the 49ers travel to Pittsburgh.
Not in danger of losing top spot
Published: 2023-08-21
Offensive coordinator Matt Canada said Monday that Harris is undoubtedly Pittsburgh's top running back, Chris Adamski of TribLive.com reports.
Jaylen Warren ripped off a 62-yard TD in Saturday's exhibition against Buffalo, while Harris has three touches for only five yards through two preseason appearances. Canada confirmed that the light workload is merely about preserving Harris for the regular season, at which point he'll remain the lead rusher but figures to lose some snaps to Warren, particularly on passing downs. The Steelers OC told reporters that he still expects "Najee to be Najee" once the regular season begins, per Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com.
Another brief appearance
Published: 2023-08-19
Harris rushed the ball twice for six yards in Saturday's 27-15 preseason victory over Buffalo.
Harris took the first two carries of the game out of the Pittsburgh backfield, though he was bottled up on both attempts. He gave way to Jaylen Warren on the team's opening drove, and Warren proceeded to rip off a 62-yard touchdown run on his first attempt of the game. Harris projects to retain the lead-back role in Pittsburgh to begin the regular season, but it's possible he cedes some additional work to Warren.
Sees brief action with starters
Published: 2023-08-11
Harris joined the starters for the opening drive of Friday's exhibition win over Tampa Bay, but he did not record a carry and caught his lone target for a loss of a yard.
While Harris wasn't used as a runner during the starters' brief appearance Friday, he did record the first touch out of Pittsburgh's backfield via a reception. Backup Jaylen Warren spelled Harris on the opening drive and finished with three carries for 13 yards. Harris is still the unquestioned starter in Pittsburgh, but injuries and a lack of improvement on a solid rookie season has likely shortened his leash should he get off to a slow start in 2023. Expect the Steelers to get their lead back involved offensively at some point this preseason, with that next opportunity coming on Aug. 19 against the Bills.
Overcomes early fumble
Published: 2023-01-08
Harris carried the ball 23 times for 84 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 28-14 win over the Browns. He added one catch for 10 yards.
Harris topped 20 rushing attempts for the third time in his last four games, and he topped 80 rushing yards in six of Pittsburgh's final nine games to close the season. His effort Sunday was highlighted by a run of 11 yards and a trip to the end zone from four yards away. He narrowly missed a bigger performance, as he was denied at the goal line and was stripped of the ball early in the first quarter. Nevertheless, Harris has topped 1,000 rushing yards in each of his first two seasons in the NFL, and he also tallied 10 total touchdowns in both campaigns. He'll head into 2023 as the Steelers' lead back once again.