Making The Leap: Damien Harris Has The Talent To Perform Like An Elite Fantasy RB

For several seasons the New England Patriots backfield has been a no man’s land riddled with landmines. Every time a back emerged, someone else popped up to lead the team in touches. When we began trusting James White to at least be the lead pass catcher out of the backfield, there was Rex Burkhead burying your dreams. And now we have Cam Newton leading the team in carries in 2020. Or tying for the team lead, with the man who will finally take control of this fantasy wasteland. His name is Damien Harris.

It was clear last season that Harris was the best RB on the team, and the best skill player on the entire offense. He suffered for Newton’s effectiveness at the goal line, but he was a beast, averaging five yards per carry, and a tick under 70 yards per game on just 13.7 attempts. If you watched him, his ability jumped off the screen, and PFF.com confirms what your eyes saw. Harris earned a 90.3 grade from PFF, putting him second behind only Derrick Henry, who has won back-to-back rushing titles and has an offense designed for him. He earned an 86.9 rushing grade from PFF, good for third behind Henry and Dalvin Cook. Good company! He also earned a 78.9 pass blocking grade, which is critical for his development because it means the Pats can trust him to remain on the field on passing downs. While James White is still on the team, and will probably still be the choice on those downs, Harris’ effectiveness in that regard may shake up the status quo. White’s grade was a ghastly 26.7, and it’s questionable whether his receiving chops warrant that much of a downgrade.

Rex Burkhead, a trusty option for Bill Belichick, is gone, as are his 67 rushing attempts and 33 targets. Sony Michel just had his fifth-year option declined, a sign he’s on his way out, and Harris proved so superior to him he shouldn’t be considered a threat. The Pats did spend a later pick on RB Rhamondre Stevenson out of Oklahoma, but he never even rushed for 700 yards at the collegiate level. He’s pure depth at this point. The backfield, at least at the moment, is blessedly clear with Harris in line for a ton of early down work, and a potentially larger slice of passing downs as well. This is fantastic news for an offense that finished third in rushing attempts (502), and retained Cam Newton for another season.

Newton is a double-edged sword, however. His presence – any rushing QB’s presence, really – dramatically affects RBs in a positive way. Lanes are more open as defenses must account for Cam and Harris. But unlike other rushing QBs like Lamar Jackson or Kyler Murray, Newton’s big body makes him a dominant short-yardage rusher. This depressed Harris’ TD total last year, limiting him to two scores in 10 games.

Lastly, consider this. As covered here, Newton’s throwing cratered last season to the point that he had to be benched more than once. New England spent the No. 15 overall pick on rookie QB Mac Jones, whom many considered the most NFL-ready QB prospect in this draft. If Newton falters again, he’ll have a shorter leash since it won’t be Jarrett Stidham staring the coaching staff in the face. Jones will not open up any running lanes for Harris, but he certainly won’t be asked to tote the rock in short yardage situations. Should Jones take over at any point, Harris will immediately become a high-end source of touchdowns, and will vastly outperform his ADP.