With 8:52 left in Week 4’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jonathan Taylor rushed up the middle for one yard but injured his right ankle after trying to spin out a tackle.
After the game, Taylor said that he felt “pretty good”, but NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that he was diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain, although a “mild version” one.
It’s a positive sign that the Colts have not placed Taylor on the injured reserve, but high-ankle sprains usually require a longer recovery period than a lateral ankle sprain. On average, the recovery time for a lateral one is 6.5 days, while it’s 15-to-46 days for high-ankle sprains.
Taylor has a history of high-ankle sprains, as he missed time in both 2022 and 2023 due to ankle injuries, so it’s likely that the Colts take the conservative route. Comments from both Taylor and Shane Steichen offer optimism, but the risk/reward for picking up Trey Sermon is very favorable. He offers a chance to get a starting running back, who would likely dominate the snaps and rush behind the third-ranked offensive line in the league, for free.
The Week 5 matchup isn’t great, as the Jaguars have allowed only 3.9 yards per carry and a Rush EPA of -2.9. While the Jags are favored by 2.5 points at home on DraftKings Sportsbook, they have given up five touchdowns on the ground, and volume is volume.
Sermon has played 42 snaps behind Taylor while Tyler Goodson has played in only 12. Sermon has five red-zone opportunies while Goodson has not received any.
In the $3.25M Fantasy Football Millionaire tournament, Sermon isn’t cheap at $5,700, so he is not an auto-click. In season-long leagues, though, any starting running back is a must grab.
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is sontzu) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
