Anthony McFarland

After recording 113 rushing yards as a rookie in 2020, McFarland took on a minimal role last season after the Steelers drafted Najee Harris. McFarland spent nearly two months on injured reserve to begin the season due to an unspecified injury, and he was a healthy scratch in most games after being activated from IR. He totaled just four touches and is unlikely to be a fantasy-relevant running back as long as Harris remains healthy.

A fourth-round pick in 2020, McFarland never got going as a rookie despite running for 42 yards on only six carries in his Week 3 debut. In fact, it took him eight more weeks to equal that yardage total on the ground. The Maryland product offers top-tier speed in the open field, but the rest of his skills seemed a bit lacking and two drops on only nine targets highlight how far he has to go to become even a passing-down complement to new lead back Najee Harris. Depending on how much progress he makes in turning himself into a more well-rounded player, McFarland could emerge as the No. 2 back for the Steelers and see a consistent role in the offense, but the fact that he wasn't used at all on special teams last year suggests his hold on a roster spot could be tenuous if he isn't an offensive contributor.

While the collapse of the Steelers offense last year was largely due to Ben Roethlisberger's injury, the lack of spark provided by the backfield committee of James Conner, Benny Snell and Jaylen Samuels was hard to ignore. Enter McFarland, a fourth-round pick out of Maryland who ran a 4.44 40-yard dash at the combine. McFarland's acceleration and agility make him dangerous in the open field, and while he may lack the power and vision to make an impact between the tackles, Pittsburgh already has plenty of options on the roster to handle those duties, and he'll be running behind an offensive line that won't make him work too hard to find holes. He also needs to sharpen his blocking and receiving skills if he wants to emerge as a consistent third-down weapon. McFarland might not be ready to handle a large touch volume, but he offers the Steelers big-play upside that even a healthy Conner can't match.