Yikes. Carson Wentz reminds me of the QB I used to play football with at the rec league: he's bad. And he decides who he's throwing to pre-snap.

This quote from Tony Gonzalez sums it up:

PROFILE

Spotlight: Najee Harris

What do we make of Najee Harris, you ask? The Steelers drafted Najee as the first RB in the 2021 NFL Draft (24th overall), and with James Conner leaving in free agency, Najee was vaulted into the starting role. The combination of a historically bell-cow heavy RB approach and a retirement-home-armed QB in Ben Roethlisberger was the perfect storm for a massive workload.

Harris carried the ball a total of 307 times (18 carries per game) and led RBs in snaps played (929) - the next closest was Ezekiel Elliott, with almost 200 less snaps!! Najee was basically playing 5 quarters per game to any other RB's 4 quarters per game.

This massive advantage in opportunity was parlayed into an RB3 finish by Najee. Big Checkdown Ben ensured Harris led all RBs in total receptions (74) and broke the NFL record for most catches in a game for a rookie RB (14).

But despite (or maybe because of) the massive opportunity, Harris was inefficient. He averaged just 3.9 YPC (Devonte Freeman avg'd more) and ran for 100+ yards in just 3/17 games, showing a lack of breakaway speed.

Najee's got volume, but not efficiency... Sounds more like Trent Richardson than Adrian Peterson.

But what happened this year?

This offseason was filled with talk about limiting Harris' workload. True to their word, the Steelers are giving Harris 4.2 fewer carries per game and 2.5 fewer targets. To make things worse, Najee's efficiency has also declined (3.2 YPC) and his backup, Jaylen Warren, is averaging an above-average 4.9 YPC, so is it really the o-line??

The case to buy Najee is that he's playing through a high ankle sprain, had an injury during the preseason, and Kenny Pickett improves this offense (it can't get worse than Trubisky). The Steelers let Najee heal the sprained lisfranc and he returns to his former workload. 

The case to sell Najee: His struggles with efficiency continue and there is a competent RB siphoning touches. Mike Tomlin said backup Jaylen Warren's role has increased and that will continue going forward. Warren is much better in pass protection too. We're selling Najee. 

Players we'd sell for (redraft): Etienne, Sutton, David Montgomery, Chris Olave, and anyone better. 

If you're on the "buy" side, you might want to wait one more week for the price-tag to drop lower:

BUY & SELL

The case for...

Buying Breece Hall. Hall is an explosive playmaker with receiving upside. Everything we love to see for an RB1 - his role on the Jets keeps growing. Hall ranks "sixth in rushes of 10-plus yards (18%) and fifth in targets per route run (29%)". Buy wherever you can - especially in keeper and dynasty leagues.

Buying Kyle Pitts. Pitts has been a disaster, but his underlying stats are elite - His 23.7% target share ranks 3rd among all tight ends. He's 2nd in air yards and air yards share. His 15.1 aDoT ranks as the league's best. The Pitts owner in your league is probably frustrated and could be an easy piece to add to trade offers. And the Falcons passing game has to get better at some point...

Buying David Njoku. Per Scott Barrett, only three TEs rank top-5 in route share and target share: Mark Andrews (1st, 1st), Travis Kelce (2nd, 4th), David Njoku (3rd, 5th). Njoku has 70 yards in 3 straight games. Only 4 other TEs have accomplished this feat over the past 3 seasons – Kelce, Andrews, Waller, Kittle. Elite company.

Buying Jakobi Meyers. Per Marvin Elequin, Meyers is currently the WR4 in Target Share (31.8%), behind only Cooper Kupp, CeeDee Lamb & Drake London. And going back to 2021, Meyers has received a +20% Target Share in 16 of his last 20 games. One of the most consistent & underrated receivers in the league.

QUICK SLANTS

• This chart shows why Rhamondre Stevenson is primed for a massive week.

• Great news for JT owners: Colts RB Jonathan Taylor returned to practice on Thursday, a good sign for his chances to play Sunday vs. Jacksonville - @zkeefer.

• Tee Higgins did not practice for a second straight day and was reportedly headed to the rehab field at the Bengals facility - @Ben_Baby

• As many anticipated, James Conner is expected to miss the Seattle game with a rib injury. With Darrel Williams also out with a knee injury, Eno Benjamin is expected to have a big role this weekend.

• Chris Olave (concussion) participated in football activities during the open portion of practice. If he has no symptoms, the next step would be full participation., per @nick_underhill. Olave's 389 receiving yards this season is the most thru 5 career games in Saints history!

Thanks for joining us this morning, now go send some trade offers.

Jake, Eddie, Coach Wehler & Matt

Tweet of the Day

This takes a level of self control l wish I had: