Who Should I Start? Jaylen Warren or Jonathon Brooks

Friday, September 6, 7:18 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (hamstring) was a full participant on Friday for the second day in a row and was removed from the final injury report for Week 1's contest on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. Warren was listed as limited in the team's first official practice of the year, creating some uncertain as to whether he'd be available for the season opener. However, the 25-year-old has now been cleared and will suit up against Atlanta as he continues to share Pittsburgh's backfield with Najee Harris. Warren produced 784 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 149 carries (5.3 yards per attempt) and added a healthy 61 receptions for 370 yards in 17 regular-season games. With Pittsburgh's pass-catching depth suspect, Warren should be able to be a solid RB3/flex on a weekly basis again in 2024 with quarterback Russell Wilson (calf) leading the offense.

Sunday, September 1, 9:52 PM

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) will miss at least the first four games of the regular season after he was placed on the PUP list amidst his torn ACL recovery. This will delay Brooks' NFL debut, and he'll face an uphill battle to emerge as the Panthers' No. 1 running back once he's healthy. While Brooks is undoubtedly the Panthers' franchise running back, it could be difficult for him to win the job over Chuba Hubbard in the middle of the season while recovering from a serious injury and still acclimating to the NFL caliber of play. In other words, a Week 5 return wouldn't necessarily mean he'd warrant a spot in your Week 5 starting lineup. At the very least, fantasy managers should tamper expectations when Brooks gets healthy and be prepared to exercise patience as he gets adjusted to the NFL.