Should Fantasy Football Managers Draft Jonathan Taylor or Amon-Ra St. Brown?
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As Fantasy Managers study up ahead of their draft, let’s take a look at a very real draft night situation. If you are sitting on a pick somewhere between 6-10 in the first round, you may very well come across this scenario with 60 seconds on the clock: Should I draft Jonathan Taylor or Amon-Ra St. Brown?
Let’s dive into it.
Case For Amon-Ra St. Brown
Amon-Ra St. Brown has been one of the most consistent and reliable picks over the past few years in fantasy football. This past season he racked up 117 receptions, 1,401 yards, and 11 touchdowns, finishing the year as the 3rd ranked WR in fantasy football behind only Ja’maar Chase and Puka Nacua.
The Sun God is a reception magnet and should be expected to continue off his similar production from last season. St. Brown ranked second in the league in targets, and 4th in receptions last season. When it comes to PPR, St. Brown has proven himself as one of the best high floor picks in fantasy football.
With that said, the offense will continue to run through Jahmyr Gibbs in 2026, who should see even higher production value this upcoming season with the departure of David Montgomery, asserting him as the consensus number one overall pick in fantasy to most experts.
Amon-Ra St. Brown will continue his rampage racking up yards in the slot and dominating red zone targets with the Lions high-powered offense, but should be expected to stay in the same production range he has had the past few years, with no real changes to the Lions offense to expect otherwise.
The Case For Jonathan Taylor
Jonathan Taylor comes into 2026 off of one of the best seasons of his career. Taylor finished the season with 323 carries, 1,585 yards, 18 rushing touchdowns along with two receiving touchdowns. He ranked first overall in total touchdowns, and third overall in total rushing yards in the NFL in 2025 finishing as the RB4 and 6th overall in PPR formats, with no reason to slow down coming into 2026.
Taylor is a workhorse RB1 who should see his 2026 production on par or better than his already successful 2025 season. The Colts come into 2026 with newfound confidence on offense across the board. Tyler Warren will look to expand as an offensive weapon in his sophomore season, alongside Alec Pierce, and newly signed veteran receiver Keenan Allen. Daniel Jones also comes into the season with a year under his belt in Indianapolis to command the offense.
All of these offensive factors bode well for Jonathan Taylor who will be the driving force for what could be a very successful Colts offense if the team stays healthy.
Taylor comes into this season once again as the bellcow running back for the Colts and will serve as the primary every-down ball carrier destined to easily rack up rushing and receiving yards in the back field as he looks to match his yardage and touchdowns of 2025, and possibly exceed it. If the Colts offense clicks, this will become a reality.
Fantasy Verdict
When it comes down to it, both are great picks in this spot but with both these players on the board, Jonathan Taylor is a more favorable pick over Amon-Ra St. Brown. With the Colts offense looking like it will click, Taylor’s high volume workload and touchdown opportunity establishes a much higher ceiling over Amon-Ra St. Brown, and the possibility of an explosive season ahead.
St. Brown is known for his consistency and durability and he will continue on that path this season making him still a great pick, but there is no real indication for him to improve upon his stats from last season.
However, if Jonathan Taylor hits his mark with a successful Colts offense, he will be an RB force to reckon with in 2026, and a potential league winner.
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Samuel Jacovitz has a diverse background in the sports media landscape having worked with Mandalay Sports Media, NBC Sports, and the NBA. A born and raised New Yorker and Syracuse University Graduate, Sam focuses on research and analysis when it comes to his fantasy sports content.
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