Sep 16 update: Najee Harris was able to practice in full Thursday and Friday and has been removed from the injury report for Week 2.
Sep 14 update: Harris was officially limited for Wednesday’s practice and appears on track to play in Week 2 against the Patriots.
Sep 13 update: Harris told Adam Schein in a radio interview that he’ll be practicing this week and expects to play this weekend against the Patriots.
"I'll be back at practice this week, and then I will be playing this weekend."
— Mad Dog Sports Radio (@MadDogRadio) September 13, 2022
Najee Harris tells @AdamSchein he'll be ready to go for the #Steelers game against the Patriots.
Audio:⬇️⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/aUjNewbjTk
Pittsburgh Steelers RB Najee Harris “should be good” for Week 2 vs. the New England Patriots, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Harris left in the Steelers’ 23-20 OT win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1 with a foot injury. It’s something that has popped up for Harris since training camp and the preseason. For now, the Steelers are making it out to not be a big deal. It could develop into an issue for fantasy managers throughout the season. Let’s take look.
Fantasy football implications
It’s good that we have this news before waiver claims happen on Wednesday. The Steelers have all week to get Harris some rest, so chances are he won’t practice most of the week. He could also have a designation heading into the game, likely questionable or a game-time decision. Either way, it may be tough to trust Harris in Week 2 vs. the Pats.
Or he’ll play and go off.
Proceeding with caution is always good, but it’s the NFL. If Harris is active and starting, the expectation should be that he’s healthy enough for a regular workload. The player with the most carries behind Harris in Week 1 was WR Chase Claypool, who had six carries for 36 yards. Jaylen Warren was the other back who got some work and is viewed as the RB2. It’s unclear if Benny Snell Jr. will come into the picture at all.
So for now, Harris fantasy managers should be playing him until we get more info. Again, if he’s active on Sunday, he should be in your lineup. It’s still early enough in the season where a Week 2 loss shouldn’t ruin you. If Harris re-injures the foot, then we have some problems. That’s why picking up Warren is crucial this week. If you need to spend a lot of waiver salary cap on securing the backup, do it. If you aren’t in a waiver cap league, Warren should be your top priority.