Jaylen Warren Fantasy Stats

Despite two top 25 finishes in the past three seasons, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren has never seen a preseason ADP inside the top 30 running backs, and that continues to be the case heading into 2026. Warren is currently the consensus RB30 following his RB16 finish in 2025. With the Steelers committing $5 million in guaranteed money to free agent Rico Dowdle, Warren's weekly ceiling appears capped in what could be close to a 50/50 workload split, though he is no stranger to sharing the Pittsburgh backfield. His career-best season came with teammate Kenneth Gainwell trailing only Christian McCaffrey, Bijan Robinson, and Jahmyr Gibbs in running back receptions, while his RB25 finish in 2023 saw him end the year more than 100 carries behind Najee Harris. Dowdle perhaps represents his most well-rounded running mate to date, but nothing the fourth-year player can do should be enough to keep Warren off the field and away from his own fantasy-relevant touches. Capable of matching ADP expectations in a true committee split, Warren's upside far exceeds that of other backs taken in his range when considering the full backfield takeover that could befall him in the event of an injury to Dowdle, and he represents some of the best value from the middle rounds of 2026 drafts.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren is down to 205 pounds for OTAs and is "looking slimmer," per Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Warren was listed at 215 pounds for the 2025 season. The 27-year-old set career-highs across the board last season for the Steelers, finishing the year with 1,291 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns on 251 touches across 16 games (15 starts). Entering 2026, Warren projects to split backfield reps with new Steelers running back Rico Dowdle, who was signed to a two-year contract in March. Dowdle profiles as more of a downhill, short-yardage back, so Warren's weight loss could be a sign that the team wants him to focus on shiftiness for an open-field, pass-catching role. Both Pittsburgh running backs profile as mid-tier RB3/flex options entering 2026.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren is arguably one of the biggest beneficiaries of the team's reunion with 21-year veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers. With the sides agreeing to a one-year deal worth up to $25 million on Saturday, target distribution in the Steelers' new-look offense could bear a striking resemblance to that of 2025. While personnel tendencies are expected to shift dramatically away from Arthur Smith's heavy usage of multi-tight end sets, who the ball gets thrown to will still be determined by the 42-year-old Rodgers. In 2025, with Rodgers seemingly unwilling to hold the ball any longer than necessary, his running backs were targeted 126 times across his 16 starts, second only to the 49ers. Kenneth Gainwell and his 73 receptions were allowed to walk in free agency, and in replacing him with Rico Dowdle, whose 39 catches in 2025 matched a career high, Warren should serve as Rodgers' primary pass-catching back. At RotoBaller's dynasty RB30, Warren is perennially one of the more underrated assets in the game, and the 27-year-old former undrafted free agent has a realistic shot at another RB2 finish after ending the 2025 season as the RB16 in Half-PPR formats.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren has finished as the RB25 or better in two of the past three seasons, and his well-rounded game has allowed him to thrive in whatever running back room he's a part of. While sharing the backfield with Najee Harris, Warren excelled in a pass-catching role, finishing with the fifth-most running back receptions in the league in 2023. With Kenneth Gainwell sopping up more than 80 targets in 2025, Warren churned out a career-high 958 yards on the ground en route to an RB16 finish. In free agent acquisition Rico Dowdle, the Steelers have added another back capable of working in both the run and pass game, but unlikely to dominate in either, at least not to the extent of Warren's previous teammates. Warren and Dowdle could see something close to a true 50/50 split in 2026, making the former well worth his current dynasty cost of RotoBaller's RB30, even if his ceiling is capped in a timeshare. However, should injuries force him into a larger role, Warren has proven upside, finishing as the RB15 or better in five of his nine 2025 games with at least a 50% snap share, and never below RB26.

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.