Jaylen Warren Fantasy Stats

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren has spent his entire career in some form of timeshare. From 2022 to 2024, he shared a room with Najee Harris and found fantasy relevance through his work as a pass catcher, making a career-high 61 grabs in 2023 on his way to an RB25 finish. In 2025, many expected him to split time with rookie Kaleb Johnson, but it was actually free agent signing Kenneth Gainwell that ate into his workload, most notably as a receiver, with Warren's 42 targets the lowest since his rookie season. With Gainwell now off to Tampa Bay, Warren finds himself in yet another new committee, this time with former Cowboys and Panthers runner Rico Dowdle. While Dowdle is a well-rounded back, he possesses neither the tank-like frame to grind out the 270+ carries of a prime Harris nor the receiving chops to approach Gainwell's 73 receptions from 2025, leaving margins for Warren to again hold a prominent, fantasy-relevant role. Since Dowdle's signing, Warren has fallen to low-end RB3 status in consensus dynasty rankings, but with a clear path to reestablish himself as the primary pass-catcher out of the backfield, he should be more than capable of matching or exceeding his RB26 finish from 2025. At 27 years old, Warren represents the type of depth piece that a contending manager might lean on for notable swaths of the season.

Across 16 games in 2025, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren recorded a career-high 1,291 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns on 251 touches. Warren began the year as the featured back in Pittsburgh before gradually moving into more of a timeshare with former Steelers back Kenneth Gainwell. While Gainwell departed Pittsburgh in free agency, the Steelers brought in former Carolina Panthers back Rico Dowdle to replace him. Dowdle is known for his ability to run between the tackles on early downs and in short-yardage situations, which could mean Warren will be siloed to a third-down role in 2026. While Warren has been an efficient player (career average of 5.3 yards per touch) throughout his time in the NFL, Pittsburgh has never quite trusted him to take on a full RB1 workload. As a result, Warren's fantasy value has traditionally been limited to low-end RB2/flex status. With Dowdle now in Pittsburgh, Warren's upside in dynasty formats remains capped.

The Athletic's Saad Yousuf, Dianna Russini, and Mike DeFabo believe that with the addition of new running back Rico Dowdle in free agency, "there's a good shot" that Dowdle will be in the 1A role, and Pittsburgh Steelers RB Jaylen Warren will be the "change-of-pace" back. The 5-foot-8 Warren has been "at his best in a third-down role and out of the shotgun." It means that the 27-year-old will likely take over the pass-catching duties that Kenneth Gainwell had in 2025, when he caught a career-high 73 passes for 486 yards and three touchdowns in 17 regular-season games. Warren was the RB17 in half-PPR scoring last year, going for a career-high 958 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground on 211 carries in 16 games, adding 40 catches for 333 yards and two TDs as a pass-catcher. The addition of Dowdle is definitely a big hit to Warren's overall fantasy value going into 2026, but his role as a pass-catcher shouldn't be taken lightly in PPR formats, especially if veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers returns.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren had the best fantasy finish of his career in 2025, and he could take another step forward with less competition next season. Warren entered the 2025 campaign as the Steelers' preferred running back after Najee Harris departed in free agency. The expectation was that Warren would gradually lose touches to Kaleb Johnson, but instead, he found himself in a split backfield with Kenneth Gainwell. While sharing touches with Gainwell, Warren tallied 958 rushing yards, 333 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns. He finished as the overall RB17 in full-PPR leagues, while Gainwell was the RB16. Gainwell is expected to hit free agency this offseason, and early rumors indicate that the Steelers don't plan to re-sign him. Presumably, they'll bring in another running back or give more touches to Johnson. However, as the incumbent starter, Warren should maintain a heavy workload and fantasy relevance. He has shown an ability to produce as a ball-carrier and pass-catcher, and he flashed a nose for the end zone by doubling his previous career-high touchdown total. Warren is a solid hold in dynasty leagues, and he projects as a mid-range RB2 option in redraft leagues for 2026.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren finished the regular season with 1,291 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns, but in Monday night's Wild Card finale, he faces a Texans defense that has been among the most punishing all season long. Houston has been the 8th most formidable fantasy defense in terms of limiting opposing running backs, holding lead backs 2.4 points below their season average. With Warren already working as part of a committee with Kenneth Gainwell, neither player boasts a particularly high ceiling, though both are buoyed by their steady work in the passing game. Warren is RotoBaller's RB9 for Wild Card Weekend and will likely need to see a strong target share to make good on that projection.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (illness) returned to a full practice on Friday, according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN. Warren was under the weather and did not practice on Thursday. Now that he's back, he should be ready to rock by Monday night when the Steelers take on the Houston Texans in a Wild-Card playoff matchup. The 27-year-old back finished as the RB17 in half-PPR scoring during the regular season with 958 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 211 carries. He added 40 receptions on 45 targets for 333 receiving yards and two more TDs. Warren will be splitting the backfield workload with Kenneth Gainwell, who has become a bigger part of the offense in the second half of the season. Warren should be considered a low-end RB1 during Wild-Card weekend while going up against a Texans defense that allowed the fourth-fewest rushing yards to RBs this year.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (illness) did not practice with the team on Thursday due to an illness, according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN. Warren's status is worth monitoring going into Monday night's Wild-Card playoff matchup against the visiting Houston Texans, but the 27-year-old should be good to go by then. However, if he's still feeling under the weather by then and sees a smaller workload, it would benefit backfield mate Kenneth Gainwell, albeit in a very tough matchup against the No. 1 defense in the league. Warren has seen double-digit carries in all but one of his 16 games played this year, but Gainwell has taken on a bigger role in Pittsburgh's backfield late in the season. He ranked as the RB19 with 12.3 half-PPR points per game, while Houston's defense allowed the eighth-fewest half-PPR points per week to the position. Warren sets up as a low-end RB1 in fantasy playoff formats.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren had been ceding touches to Kenneth Gainwell in recent weeks, but in Sunday night's division-clinching win over the Ravens, he carried the ball 14 times for 66 yards, while catching all five of his targets for an additional 33 yards through the air. The 19 total opportunities were his most since a Week 7 loss to the Bengals, and his reliability in the passing game could again be on display in a Wild Card matchup with the Texans. Houston's front seven has been one of the league's toughest fronts to run against, but with Warren and Gainwell, the Steelers can essentially move their running game into space with short passes, putting both in line for favorable PPR stat lines. With Warren also first in line to handle the bulk of carries, he makes for a sneaky start in the first week of fantasy playoff leagues.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren saw his second-lowest snap count of the season during last week's loss to the Cleveland Browns. Warren rushed the ball 12 times for 64 yards, but he was only on the field for 32 percent of the offensive snaps. Fellow back Kenneth Gainwell saw a season-high 68 percent of the offensive snaps last week. Gainwell has played well for the Steelers during the second half of the season and has earned himself a larger role in this offense. He figures to split up the workload with Warren again during the regular-season finale against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night. The loss of playing time is concerning and makes Warren a more volatile RB2 fantasy option for Week 18.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (hip) practiced in full on Thursday and Friday and does not carry an injury designation into a Week 17 meeting with the Cleveland Browns. There is a chance, however, that Warren's workload could be limited depending on the outcome of the Baltimore Ravens' contest on Saturday. If the Green Bay Packers defeat the Ravens, Pittsburgh will clinch the AFC North title regardless of Sunday's result. In that scenario, the Steelers could choose to limit reps or rest starters entirely, so fantasy managers will need to monitor the situation up until game time. Assuming Warren plays his normal role, he should find success against a struggling Browns defense that has allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing running backs over the past eight weeks. He would be a borderline must-start and should be viewed as a fantasy RB2 if active.