Who Should I Start? Jaylen Warren or Kaleb Johnson

Thursday, February 12, 1:19 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren had the best fantasy finish of his career in 2025, and he could take another step forward with less competition next season. Warren entered the 2025 campaign as the Steelers' preferred running back after Najee Harris departed in free agency. The expectation was that Warren would gradually lose touches to Kaleb Johnson, but instead, he found himself in a split backfield with Kenneth Gainwell. While sharing touches with Gainwell, Warren tallied 958 rushing yards, 333 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns. He finished as the overall RB17 in full-PPR leagues, while Gainwell was the RB16. Gainwell is expected to hit free agency this offseason, and early rumors indicate that the Steelers don't plan to re-sign him. Presumably, they'll bring in another running back or give more touches to Johnson. However, as the incumbent starter, Warren should maintain a heavy workload and fantasy relevance. He has shown an ability to produce as a ball-carrier and pass-catcher, and he flashed a nose for the end zone by doubling his previous career-high touchdown total. Warren is a solid hold in dynasty leagues, and he projects as a mid-range RB2 option in redraft leagues for 2026.

Friday, February 13, 7:42 AM

A third-round selection out of the University of Iowa in the 2025 NFL Draft, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson appeared to have an opportunity to play a significant role in his team's backfield as a rookie. Instead, the 22-year-old spent the 2025 season buried on the Steelers' depth chart and barely got a chance to take the field. Across 10 games played, Johnson recorded just 78 yards from scrimmage on 29 touches. Veteran Pittsburgh running backs Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell dominated the team's backfield work throughout the year, as each back topped 180 touches and 1,000 yards from scrimmage. Gainwell is set to hit unrestricted free agency this spring, which could eliminate one obstacle from Johnson's pathway to playing time. However, even if the Steelers do not bring Gainwell back, Johnson did little as a rookie to convince Pittsburgh that it should not bring in another veteran to complement Warren in 2026. Johnson is still very young, and he could work his way back into the team's plans with a full offseason of development. However, his fantasy stock in dynasty formats has taken a major hit after his underwhelming rookie campaign.