Liam Murphy declared he is "still a fade" on Najee Harris even after the veteran slipped to pick 82. He argued that new OC Arthur Smith’s run-heavy reputation shouldn’t overshadow Jaylen Warren’s rising snap share (25 % of third-down plays in 2024). Murphy expects a near-even touch split and doubts Harris’ 3.9 yards per carry over the last two seasons will suddenly spike behind Pittsburgh’s still-shaky interior line. With Aaron Jones and Tony Pollard available in the same zone—backs Murphy believes have cleaner workloads—he said the opportunity cost of clicking Harris remains too high for a player whose weekly ceiling hinges on multi-TD games.

Davis Mattek advised fantasy managers to view Najee Harris as nothing more than a placeholder after signing a one-year, $5.25 M deal with the Chargers. Mattek noted Harris’ fifth-year option was declined, Pittsburgh let him walk, and he is now competing with first-round rookie Omarion Hampton in a Greg Roman backfield that historically feeds one bell-cow. Harris’ résumé—splitting snaps with UDFA Jaylen Warren, posting sub-4.0 YPC three straight seasons and failing to earn a second contract—suggests the best-case is a short-lived veteran bridge role. Mattek expects Harbaugh and Roman to ride the rookie once Hampton masters the playbook, relegating Harris to low-value third-down or pass-protection duties by mid-season. He has moved Harris outside his top-120 overall in Best Ball Mania drafts and labelled him undraftable in shallow season-long formats unless an ADP crater presents an injury-hedge price.

Discussing roster construction for Underdog’s Eliminator, Davis Mattek said managers should be "more Week-1-brained" at running back because only 0.7 percent of teams survive to Week 7. That makes veteran workhorse types—Najee Harris, Aaron Jones, Tony Pollard, Javonte Williams—far more viable than their season-long ADPs suggest. Mattek prefers drafting two of those backs early and skipping an eighth wide receiver to add a third quarterback or tight end. The logic: half-point PPR scoring and head-to-head matchups reward 20-point touch monopolies these backs can still deliver before wear-and-tear becomes an issue. Harris, for example, averaged 19.6 carries over Pittsburgh’s first six games last year; similar early-season volume could single-handedly advance Eliminator rosters before their fragility shows up in December.

Mike Wright said he is "pleased to dislike Najee for fantasy again" after the Chargers spent first-round capital on Omari and Hampton. While Harris could poach some early-season goal-line carries, Wright thinks that role evaporates once Hampton proves himself. He reminded listeners that Harbaugh’s front office gave Harris only a one-year deal and drafted Hampton specifically for three-down usage. Wright expects Harris to open the year in a committee but projects his snap share to dip below 30 percent by mid-season, making him nothing more than a touchdown-dependent RB3/FLEX in redraft and a sell-now asset in dynasty formats before the inevitable mid-season benching tanks his value.

Davis Mattek told listeners to dump Najee Harris shares now that the Chargers spent first-round capital on Amarion Hampton. Harris signed only a one-year, $5.25 M deal—comparable to Zach Moss money—which Mattek called clear “running-back-two” compensation. He pointed out that Harris was forced into a split with UDFA Jaylen Warren in Pittsburgh, had his fifth-year option declined, and now profiles as a pure placeholder. Because Hampton and Harris are both "thunder" backs, Mattek expects Harris to lose early-down work once the rookie digests the playbook. The best-case scenario for Harris is a short-lived opening-day starter role based on veteran trust and pass-pro chops, but Mattek thinks the rookie’s talent eventually pushes Harris into a backup/third-down specialist by mid-season. With Greg Roman’s historical rushing ranks (first or second in attempts six times) and Harbaugh’s willingness to ride one lead back, Harris’s weekly ceiling is capped even if he hangs onto 8–10 touches. Mattek has dropped him outside his top-40 RBs for both Season-Long and Best Ball drafts and will maintain near-zero exposure unless an injury sidelines Hampton.