Who Should I Start? Alexander Mattison or Jaylen Warren

Sunday, January 5, 10:03 PM

Las Vegas Raiders running back Alexander Mattison rushed for 20 yards on six carries during Sunday's Week 18 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. He also caught four of his five targets for an additional 11 yards through the air. It appeared that Mattison was headed for an increased workload on Sunday with Ameer Abdullah (foot) sidelined, but instead, the Raiders somewhat abandoned the rushing attack. Vegas' running backs combined for just eight carries, and quarterback Aidan O'Connell added four rushes of his own. Mattison may have salvaged his performance in PPR leagues, but for the most part, his showing on Sunday left a lot to be desired. The 26-year-old will hit free agency in a few months, leaving the Raiders with some combination of Sincere McCormick, Zamir White, Dylan Laube, and Chris Collier. Las Vegas has numerous holes on both sides of the ball, but don't be surprised if they look to improve their backfield with draft picks, free agency spending, or both.

Sunday, January 12, 12:28 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren totaled just six rushing yards on two carries and posted four receptions for 19 receiving yards in a 28-14 playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Both Warren and backfield mate Najee Harris were completely shut down by the Ravens' run defense but managed to contribute in the passing game. While Harris out-gained Warren through the air, the latter's five targets tied wideout George Pickens for the team lead. Warren, a restricted free agent this offseason, is likely to be retained by Pittsburgh and could be given RB1 duties in the 2025-2026 campaign with Harris now entering unrestricted free agency.