Who Should I Start? Jaylen Warren or Chase Brown

Friday, September 12, 10:09 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren found the end zone in the season opener and will look to build on that success in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle's run defense was middle-of-the-pack in 2024 and surrendered a big fantasy performance to Christian McCaffrey in Week 1. Warren may not be the offensive threat that McCaffrey is, but he has proven to be effective both on the ground and through the air as the clear leader of the Steelers' backfield. Rookie Kaleb Johnson has seemingly yet to carve out a role in OC Arthur Smith's system, and while Kenneth Gainwell handled 10 touches last week, he was largely inefficient with them. Though this matchup isn't expected to be high-scoring, Pittsburgh is coming off an impressive 34-point showing led by a motivated Aaron Rodgers and will look to stay hot in its home opener. Warren projects as a low-end RB2 or strong flex option for Sunday's contest.

Saturday, September 13, 12:17 PM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown had only 43 yards off 21 carries in the Week 1 win over Cleveland. His 2.0 yards per carry was a tough pill to swallow for fantasy managers. Still, he at least found the end zone, so the afternoon wasn't a total flop. The same can't be said for the rest of the Bengals offense, with Joe Burrow throwing for 113 yards and one touchdown. To make matters worse, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins combined for five receptions. Despite the subpar offensive showing, Cincinnati managed to pull off a narrow one-point victory. With a win in the books, Brown and company will host the Jaguars in Week 2. Without question, the Bengals have struggled to begin the season in the last few years. However, Brown and company have a great chance of turning things around. Although he sometimes struggles picking up yards on the ground, his versatility as a pass-catching back makes a difference. Sunday's game is expected to be one of the highest-scoring contests on the schedule, so both offenses may be clicking on all cylinders. All things considered, Brown should be more productive in Week 2, especially if Burrow can get the offense into the Red Zone more than he did against Cleveland. Keep Brown rolling in all fantasy lineups.