Who Should I Start? Jaylen Warren or Jonathon Brooks
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.5 | 48.6 | 0.3 | 2.5 | 19.1 | 0.1 |
Jaylen Warren News
Monday, July 27, 6:48 PM
Pittsburgh Steelers 27-year-old running back out of Oklahoma State, Jaylen Warren, finds himself in another timeshare backfield in 2026, even after the Steelers moved on from Kenny Gainwell and brought in 28-year-old Rico Dowdle. Warren finished the 2025 season as the RB16, with 211 carries for 958 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He contributed through the air as well, hauling in 40 of his 45 targets for 333 yards and two touchdowns. It was Warren's best season of his professional career, which spans four years. New Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy and Dowdle spent time together in Dallas in 2024, and Dowdle has now put together back-to-back seasons with over 1,000 rushing yards and five or more total touchdowns. Warren figures to maintain his primary role as the pass-catching back; however, the goal-line work and the timeshare between the two will be sorted out as training camp continues. Neither back is expected to take the lion's share of work, making both backs valuable in what figures to be a run-heavy, short, intermediate passing offense with 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers still under center. Warren remains a valuable fantasy asset in both redraft and dynasty formats heading into the 2026 season.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.2 | 33.7 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 9.7 | 0.1 |
Jonathon Brooks News
Tuesday, July 28, 9:06 AM
Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks caught a pass from quarterback Bryce Young in the flat, stuck his foot in the ground, and knifed through a couple of defenders for a big gain during training camp practice on Tuesday, according to Kyle Bailey. Brooks is "looking twitchy" so far in camp as he looks to get involved in 2026 following two ACL tears in his first two seasons in the league. The Panthers took the 23-year-old in the second round (46th overall) in 2024 from the University of Texas, but he has played in just three games for the organization. He has been impressing head coach Dave Canales so far, and he could earn RB2 duties behind Chuba Hubbard if he continues on this trajectory. Brooks' elite burst and elusiveness before his two ACL tears had drawn him comparisons to Jamaal Charles, and he's also an adept pass-catcher out of the backfield. There is still untapped potential here, but expect the Panthers to ease him into a complementary role behind Hubbard, at least early on in 2026. Fantasy managers definitely shouldn't forget about Brooks, though, and he has potential to be a sneaky RB3/flex option in point-per-reception leagues. RotoBaller has Brooks ranked as the No. 40 fantasy RB.
Jaylen Warren vs. Jonathon Brooks
Still trying to decide between Warren and Brooks? 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 11.5 points this week while Jonathon Brooks is projected to score 7.2 points.
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