Who Should I Start? Jaylen Warren or De'Von Achane


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
12.8 53.1 0.3 2.9 21.4 0.1

Jaylen Warren News

Jaylen Warren Should Still Have Significant Role in Pittsburgh

Thursday, September 3, 12:08 PM

ESPN's Dan Graziano believes that Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren will still have a "significant" backfield role in 2026 after the team signed Rico Dowdle to a two-year, $12.25 million deal in free agency. New head coach Mike McCarthy will not be shy about giving Dowdle most of the early-down carries, but Graziano reminds us that Warren caught 61 passes on 74 targets in his second year in the league in Pittsburgh in 2023. His 61 receptions that year are 22 more than Dowdle has ever had in a season, and last year's pass-catching back in the Steel City, Kenny Gainwell, broke out with 73 catches. Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers is going to want to check the ball down some more to avoid sacks, and the recipient of those check-downs will be Warren in 2026. In his four-year NFL career, the 27-year-old Warren has 167 catches on 199 targets for 1,227 yards (7.3 yards per catch) and two touchdowns (both in 2025). He will be the team's primary pass-catching outlet, which will make him a PPR sleeper as an RB3/flex as he shares the backfield with Dowdle.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
17.1 75.0 0.4 3.5 25.3 0.2

De'Von Achane News

De'Von Achane Still Holds Elite Upside Despite Poor Supporting Cast

Thursday, September 3, 7:57 PM

Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane doesn't have a very strong supporting cast around him, but he should still prevail as a top-10 fantasy running back with elite upside this season. Miami's offense will look quite different this year with Tua Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle, and Tyreek Hill gone. The only truly familiar face is Achane, who has been the RB5 in PPR leagues for each of the last two years. In 2025, he tallied 1,350 rushing yards, 67 catches, 488 receiving yards, and 12 touchdowns. He offers game-changing speed and athleticism while still offering impressive touchdown potential, even if the Dolphins' offense isn't expected to see a ton of scoring opportunities. We're also excited about Achane's volume, assuming he can stay healthy. Head coach Jeff Hafley previously said that Achane could get 40+ touches per game. That's obviously hyperbole, but fantasy managers should be excited that the head coach doesn't plan to limit Achane's workload at all. Not only does he project as the Dolphins' workhorse back, but he's really the only flashy option in this offense. We would not be surprised to see him finish as the RB5 (or higher) once again this year. He's currently being drafted near the start of the second round in most leagues, which means managers at the one-two turn could pair him with someone like James Cook, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Chase Brown, or Saquon Barkley.


Jaylen Warren vs. De'Von Achane

Still trying to decide between Warren and Achane? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Jaylen Warren is projected to score 12.8 points this week while De'Von Achane is projected to score 17.1 points.