Damien Harris Fantasy Outlook Includes Sleeper Value in 2020 Season

The New England Patriots drafted Damien Harris in Round 3 of the 2019 NFL Draft, yet they sure didn't use him like a third-round back. He only appeared in two games, totaling 4 carries for 12 rushing yards.

The oft-injured Sony Michel is at risk of missing the start of the season, though, and that could create huge fantasy football value for Harris.

Damien Harris Fantasy Football Outlook

Harris currently has an average draft position (ADP) of RB55, so he's little more than a flier at this point. But if Michel does indeed miss time, or looks like he did last year (3.7 YPC), Harris could carve out a real role for himself.

For one, Harris has reportedly been dominating at Patriots' training camp. It's always important to take that with a grain of salt, but it's certainly a positive sign.

Damien Harris continues to stand out, and it's not just as a runner. He did a nice job picking up a block today and looks comfortable in his route tree. He's been the best back in camp.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) August 23, 2020

Were everyone healthy, this standout performance in camp wouldn't be nearly as significant, but this backfield is wide open right now. Michel may miss the start of the year and Lamar Miller hasn't been cleared to practice yet, coming off an ACL injury.

That leaves Harris competing with James White (who has never reached 100 carries in a season) and Rex Burkhead (who has never reached 75) in the backfield. Given Harris' draft pedigree and performance thus far, he has a real shot to handle the lion's share of the rushing volume early on.

Of course, if everyone returns healthy this backfield will quickly become a mess – and likely one to avoid entirely. But right now New England's injury issues make Harris a great sleeper option, especially while he's going so late in drafts.

Harris is the No. 175 overall player in our 2020 fantasy rankings.

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Max Staley is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Max Staley also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mstaley1212. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.