Najee Harris voted as a prime candidate for a “bounce back” 2023 fantasy season

The Pittsburgh Steelers are gearing up for the 2023 season, and the hope is the offense will be a throwback unit. When referring to an offense as “throwback” it’s important to make it clear what that label entails.

It’s pretty simple. A punishing running game which still relies on the run to set up the pass.

In today’s pass-happy NFL, this is certainly not the norm. Most teams want to focus on the passing game and how they can structure an offense around their quarterback and pass catching threats.

When you look at the offseason moves made by the Steelers, you can see the direction they want to go on the offensive side of the ball. They’ve bolstered the offensive line with additions like Isaac Seumalo and draft picks Broderick Jones and Darnell Washington.

What does this all equate to? It equates to a potential bounce-back season for the man who should be running behind this new line. None other than Najee Harris, who was considered a top candidate for “bounce back” fantasy running back by ESPN.

Here is their reasoning:

Najee Harris, Steelers: A top-five fantasy RB as a rookie, Harris dealt with a Lisfranc injury early in the season and he saw a smaller workload. While he played in all 17 games again and topped 1,000 rushing yards, his valuable role in the passing game diminished. We’ll see if the Steelers return his volume to 2021 levels.

While the hope is the offensive line has improved heading into 2023, and Harris has a clean bill of health, the only other factor which needs to be discussed is the division of labor. With Jaylen Warren in the mix, there is a chance Harris’ touches will decrease this upcoming season.

Good news for the health and longevity of Harris in the Steelers’ offense, bad news for fantasy owners of Harris. Luckily for those fantasy owners, Harris will likely remain the teams short-yardage/goal line back which should equate with touches when it matters most to your fantasy football production.

What do you think of Harris potentially having a bounce-back season? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below, and be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the rest of the 2023 NFL offseason.