Eli Heidenreich

Pittsburgh Steelers
Running Back

Personal

Age	23
Birthdate	July 28, 2003
Height	6'0"
Weight	198 lb

Draft

College	Navy
Year	2026
Pick	Round: 7, Overall: 230
Team	PIT

Fantasy Value

Week 1 Projections
Carries	Yards	Touchdowns
0.93	3.14	0.0

You can see where those projections compare to other RBs in our Running Back Rankings.

Player News

Eli Heidenreich: Eli Heidenreich Finds The End Zone on His Push for Steelers' RB3 Role

While the top of the Steelers running back depth chart has provided spirited debate among the fantasy community for much of the offseason, the team's third spot is also very much up for grabs, and during Thursday night's preseason loss to the Bills, rookie Eli Heidenreich put in a strong claim, leading the team with nine carries. Heidenreich opened up the second half scoring, capping off an 11-play, 68-yard drive by following his blockers and fighting through contact for a nine-yard touchdown run off the right side. While the exact order might still be contested, Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle are locked in as the Steelers' top two running backs, leaving Heidenreich battling with fourth-year player Lew Nichols and 2025 third-round pick Kaleb Johnson for the third spot in the room. Nichols has been the most consistent runner throughout the preseason, but after catching 90 passes across his final two seasons with Navy and adding further versatility in the return game, Heidenreich could force his way onto the team's initial 53-man roster. Even still, without a number of catastrophic injuries ahead of him, the seventh-round pick is unlikely to see fantasy relevance in 2026.

Aug. 28, 2026 6:25 AM EST