Who Should I Start? Jaylen Warren or Kennedy Brooks

Monday, March 30, 11:09 AM

Across 16 games in 2025, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren recorded a career-high 1,291 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns on 251 touches. Warren began the year as the featured back in Pittsburgh before gradually moving into more of a timeshare with former Steelers back Kenneth Gainwell. While Gainwell departed Pittsburgh in free agency, the Steelers brought in former Carolina Panthers back Rico Dowdle to replace him. Dowdle is known for his ability to run between the tackles on early downs and in short-yardage situations, which could mean Warren will be siloed to a third-down role in 2026. While Warren has been an efficient player (career average of 5.3 yards per touch) throughout his time in the NFL, Pittsburgh has never quite trusted him to take on a full RB1 workload. As a result, Warren's fantasy value has traditionally been limited to low-end RB2/flex status. With Dowdle now in Pittsburgh, Warren's upside in dynasty formats remains capped.