Who Should I Start? Jaylen Warren or Kaleb Johnson


Week 1 Projections

Fant. Pts. Rush. Yds. Rush TD Rec. Rec. Yds. Rec TD
10.0 44.9 0.4 1.7 11.6 0.1

Jaylen Warren News

Jaylen Warren a Low-End RB2 in Tough Matchup

Friday, September 5, 6:11 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren will begin his first campaign as the team's featured ballcarrier in a road bout with the New York Jets. Warren thrived in a complementary role through his first three seasons, averaging 4.8 yards per tote while adding 127 receptions. Although he is expected to lead Pittsburgh's backfield ahead of rookie Kaleb Johnson, Warren will be tested by a solid New York defense. The Jets shut down running backs in the passing game and held the position to the fifth-fewest yards per carry in 2024. This is expected to be a low-scoring affair, so while Warren doesn't offer extreme upside, he can be started as a volume-based RB2 or flex option in Week 1.


Week 1 Projections

Fant. Pts. Rush. Yds. Rush TD Rec. Rec. Yds. Rec TD
10.3 59.2 0.5 0.6 4.9 0.0

Kaleb Johnson News

Kaleb Johnson Should Be Avoided in Week 1

Friday, September 5, 6:33 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson will make his regular-season NFL debut against the New York Jets in Week 1. A third-round pick in April's draft, Johnson has plenty of potential, especially in a Steelers offense that has ranked top-10 in rush attempts in each of the past three seasons. That said, it's unclear just how much of a role Johnson will have early on. Head coach Mike Tomlin recently labeled Jaylen Warren the team's "featured runner", and veteran Kenneth Gainwell currently sits ahead of Johnson on the depth chart. With Sunday's contest expected to be low-scoring, there is no reason to force Johnson into starting lineups. He should remain rostered in all formats, but fantasy managers would be wise to take a wait-and-see approach with Johnson.


Jaylen Warren vs. Kaleb Johnson

Still trying to decide between Warren and Johnson? 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 10.0 points this week while Kaleb Johnson is projected to score 10.3 points.