In The Blitz, RotoViz writers react to the latest news and help you place it within the context of our 2020 research and recommendations.

The fantasy football community loves to talk and debate about the “next” player. We love fantasy superstars and can’t help but make elaborate, often well-intentioned, comparisons. We’re always looking for the next Calvin Johnson, the next Travis Kelce, or merely the next generational talent. This mindset led many in the industry to tab rookie running back Jonathan Taylor as the next superstar. After a slow start to the season, Taylor has now strung together consecutive weeks of strong production and appears to be hitting his stride.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor had a great performance against the Texans in a Week 13 win. He carried the ball 13 times for 91 yards and also caught three passes for 44 yards and a touchdown. Taylor’s 135 total yards were the most he has gone for all season, and his seven yards per carry was his best average in any game. Taylor now has back-to-back games of at least 90 rushing yards and has also proved that he offers value in the passing game. After a couple of bad games a few weeks ago, it appears that Taylor’s fantasy stock is rising once again and should have good RB2 value going forward. Look for him to have another good performance next week against a Raiders defense that was gashed for 206 total rushing yards in Week 13.

Elite College Prospect

Taylor has been a rising star in the devy community for several years. During his three seasons at the University of Wisconsin, a place known for its consistently dominant rushing attack, he posted some truly elite numbers that might not be matched for some time. He finished his collegiate career by posting back-to-back seasons of over 2,000 rushing yards and scored 48 career rushing touchdowns. Despite having a bit of a fumbling issue, he was a near-lock for high draft capital.