Colts RB Jonathan Taylor is coming off the second-most fantasy points of his career -- behind only his 2021 season that finished RB1 overall -- and top-4 finishes in fantasy points per game across categories. But ESPN's Stephen Holder reports that the team knows it needs to manage the star RB's usage a little better going forward.
What They're Saying
Holder: "After the season, during which Taylor had a league-high 323 rushes, [HC Shane] Steichen and the Colts did finally confront the wear and tear on their most explosive player. There weren't necessarily regrets; Taylor came out of the season mostly healthy. But as the Colts ramp up for the 2026 season, their usage of Taylor is something the Colts admit they need to navigate."
RBs coach DeAndre Smith: "We definitely need to find ways to take some of that workload off him. If I can find another guy or two that can take some of those carries off, he's just going to be that much better. So it's definitely been a constant conversation. I'm aware of it."
Steichen: "It's hard to take him off the field when he's running so good."
2026 Fantasy Football Impact
Let's start with the obvious: No one should expect the Colts to take a truly meaningful amount of work away from a healthy Taylor. If the team actually planned anything along those lines, the current depth chart behind him would look better than this:
- DJ Giddens
- Seth McGowan
- Ulysses Bentley IV
- Anderson Castle
- Lincoln Pare
You might have noticed in the quote above that Smith said "if I can find another guy or two" rather than "[here's who] will take some pressure off Taylor this year."
But "healthy" Taylor is key here.
What If Colts Fail to Preserve Their Horse?
Plenty of luck goes into staying healthy through a big NFL workload. Just look at Taylor's history.
He played all 17 games last year. He played all 17 in 2021. In between, he lost 3+ games to injuries in three straight seasons.
If Indy keeps Taylor in the range of 19.0 to 21.6 carries per game that he has fulfilled the past two seasons, he's likely to get dinged up at some point. Remember, even a healthy 2025 found him "mostly healthy" at the end.
So even if the workload doesn't change, Taylor's availability certainly might.
Here's Why You Should be a Little Wary
So why's this minor report worth any fantasy attention? Because Taylor's ADP sits in the middle of Round 1, placing him third or fourth among RBs, depending on your format.
That's splitting-hairs territory. That's where the small things signal who you should or shouldn't draft because every player involved comes with a high ceiling.
Taylor needs carries more than the RBs ahead of him in Round 1 -- Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Christian McCaffrey -- because he doesn't catch as many passes.
He snagged a career-high 2.7 catches per game last year, played every contest, and still ranked just ninth at the position in total receptions. So Taylor's carry volume and rushing efficiency matter even more.
And he's not only competing with RBs for draft position, of course. WRs such as CeeDee Lamb, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Justin Jefferson are going in a similar range, at a position with less injury risk.
Here's How to Draft Taylor
So is the message here to avoid Taylor? Not necessarily.
We're not all that worried about lost work. (Though there are some other risk factors to Indy's offense.)
Just don't treat Taylor as a "safe" pick simply because we've seen him have two huge fantasy seasons and know the Colts will keep feeding him plenty.
If you're drafting into best ball tournaments, make sure to mix in some Taylor shares in case he does stay healthy again and carry the offense.
But when you're drafting for a single roster, you might want to lean toward someone with fewer risk factors in the middle of Round 1.
