Jonathan Taylor is coming off one of the best seasons of hisIndianapolis Colts career, but a certain CBS Sports writer is taking another AFC running back ahead for the 2026 fantasy football season.
CBS Sports' Jacob Gibbs named Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty his favorite "anchor" at the position Tuesday and revealed that he ranks Jeanty ahead of Taylor.
"I actually rank JT behind Jeanty, as crazy as it feels to do so," Gibbs wrote.
Gibbs' concern centers largely on game script. He believes Indianapolis could spend a bunch of time playing from behind this season and noted that those situations have negatively affected Taylor's fantasy production.
Jeanty, meanwhile, is expected to receive a massive workload in Las Vegas and could benefit
from playing under new head coach Klint Kubiak.
Taylor's 2025 production provides a strong counterargument.
The three-time Pro Bowler led the NFL with 323 carries, 18 rushing touchdowns and 20 total touchdowns last season. His 1,585 rushing yards ranked third in the league.
His production did decline after quarterback Daniel Jones encountered injury trouble. CBS Sports' Jamey Eisenberg noted that Taylor averaged 25.2 half-PPR points over the first 10 games while Jones was healthy before failing to surpass 15.5 points in any of the final seven contests.
Jones is fully cleared following his torn Achilles, giving Indianapolis an opportunity to restore the offensive formula that powered its fast start last season.
The Colts also reinforced their commitment to Taylor earlier this month by signing him to a 'big-time' contract extension.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts RB Jonathan Taylor falls behind Ashton Jeanty in fantasy rankings
