One of the hottest debates going on right now is one of Jonathan Taylor and Marlon Mack. Will Taylor take the starting job? How long could it take? Is Taylor worth a 4th or 5th round draft pick right now? Could we see a committee? Does Nyheim Hines threaten Taylors opportunity? There’s more questions than answers leading into the start of the season, and more importantly our fantasy drafts. Lets breakdown the info we have and see what we come up with.

I think we can agree that however this plays out, Indianapolis has to be thrilled with the current situation they find themselves in. Right now they have two extremely talented men that both are capable of being a top 15, maybe even a top 10 running back in the NFL this year, which is a lot more than a lot of teams can say. The Colts have one of (if not the best) offensive lines in the league this year, and two guys that are hungry and have a lot to prove. Nyheim Hines is also in Indy but handles the 3rd down duty’s and has his role clearly defined. The Colts drafted Taylor with their 2nd round pick in this years draft, and wouldn’t have done so if they didn’t plan to use him. The issue is that Marlon Mack is a stud in his own right and they both have a very similar running style, last year Mack carried the ball 240 times in 14 games and went for over 1000 yards. Unfortunately Mack has had some bad luck when it comes to staying healthy, in his 3 years in the NFL, he has missed 8 games and has quite the injury wrap sheet. Jonathon Taylor on the other hand is coming in fresh and boasts a wrap sheet of his own, his college accolades. Taylor’s most notable is probably being 6th on the all time rusher in NCAA history, and being the first player to ever rush for over 6,000 yards in a 3 year span. So could trust be fading in Mack based on his injury history? I think its entirely possible. The Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni was quoted saying the two make a good “one-two punch” which may mean some weeks of pure frustration for fantasy owners of both players.

Where does that leave us? In my opinion Jonathon Taylor and Marlon Mack are very similar players, only Jonathon Taylor is bigger, faster, and stronger, healthier, and younger. I do personally think Taylor will take the job from Mack but it may take time. I think Taylor will definitely have the starting role locked in by the end of the season, but his ADP has him floating somewhere around the 4th round which is steep considering. If you do decide to take him there you’re definitely taking a risk as his ADP is quite inflated, even if he takes the starting job we will still see Mack on the field taking carries quiet often. Personally I like Taylor a lot and have taken him in a few of my leagues where he has fallen to me. Its important to understand that he may not return value right away or at all though, and you shouldn’t be drafting him as such. Taylor is a gamble this year but I like the odds. I think the two will split snaps and both start off hot against the dumpster fire of a defense that Jacksonville has put together, but as time goes on Taylor will separate himself.