(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The PFF Fantasy Football Twitter page posted a graphic this afternoon of Andrew Erickson's top five rookie fantasy players for this year, and Steelers running back Najee Harris came in at No. 1.
Behind Harris on the list in order were Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, Jaguars running back Travis Etienne, Broncos running back Javonte Williams and Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts.
From a fantasy football perspective, it makes sense that Harris would rank No. 1 because it's expected that he'll get a ton of touches in Matt Canada's offense. The Steelers have been looking for a bell-cow running back to carry the load since Le'Veon Bell last played on the team in 2017, and they believe Harris is that type of running back. Mike Tomlin also has a history of giving running backs a high volume of carries.
Austin Gayle of PFF believes Harris will clear 325 touches in his first year.
Canada spoke with the media this past week at minicamp and said Steelers President Art Rooney II made it clear this offseason that their "charge was to run the ball" and to be "more physical" on offense.
Canada also said that Harris' football intelligence is really high and that combined with his skill set and the way he works, he anticipates him not only having a great season but a great career.
Coupled with Canada's statements and the fact that the Steelers have a 39-year-old quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger who attempted 608 passes last year, which was the third-most in the league, expect Harris to get a healthy dose of touches in his rookie season and be an instant impact player for your fantasy football team.