Alright, buckle up, because I’m about to dive into the agonizing decision I faced this week: Najee Harris or Aaron Jones in my fantasy football lineup. It was a real head-scratcher, and I figured I’d share my thought process, which was less “expert analysis” and more “gut feeling mixed with desperate hope.”
First off, I checked the damn injury reports. That’s always step one, right? Both guys were listed with something, but nothing major that screamed “SIT HIM NOW!” So, both were technically good to go. That didn’t make things any easier.
Next, I dug into the matchups. Harris was facing… well, let’s just say the Steelers’ offense hasn’t exactly been lighting up the scoreboard. The offensive line is… a work in progress, to put it kindly. Jones, on the other hand, had a potentially juicy matchup against a team that has struggled to contain running backs. Bingo? Not so fast.
Here’s where the internal debate REALLY started. With Jones, I knew there was the “Aaron Rodgers effect.” Even if the matchup was great, sometimes Rodgers just decides he’s going to throw for 400 yards and Jones ends up with a measly 50 rushing yards. It’s happened before, and it makes you want to pull your hair out. Plus, the Packers have other guys who can vulture carries.
So, I started looking at volume. Harris, despite the Steelers’ struggles, is almost guaranteed to get a ton of carries. They seem determined to run him into the ground, which, for fantasy purposes, isn’t always a bad thing. Even if he only averages 3 yards a carry, 20 carries is still 60 yards. And he’s got the potential for goal-line touches. It’s a safe, albeit unexciting, floor.
Then I started digging into trends. Jones was looking explosive in the first couple of drives and then his snap count dwindled, and Harris’s involvement looked more consistent with targets in the passing game too. That’s a plus!
- Pros for Harris: Guaranteed volume, potential for goal-line carries, and maybe some catches.
- Cons for Harris: Terrible offense, low yards per carry potential.
- Pros for Jones: Great potential, explosive player, good matchup.
- Cons for Jones: Rodgers effect, possibility of being game-scripted out, other RBs taking touches.
Ultimately, I waffled back and forth for about an hour. I seriously considered flipping a coin. In the end, I went with my gut, which told me that Jones had the higher ceiling. So I started Jones.
How did it turn out? Well, let’s just say I’m not writing this from a yacht. Jones had a decent game, not spectacular. Harris did about what I expected. The real lesson? Fantasy football is a cruel mistress, and sometimes, you just have to trust your instincts and hope for the best. And maybe next time, I’ll just flip that coin.
Would I do it again? Probably. Because honestly, that’s what makes fantasy football so damn fun (and frustrating).
