Who Should I Start? Jaylen Warren or Kyle Monangai


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
15.4 58.1 0.6 3.3 22.6 0.1

Jaylen Warren News

Jaylen Warren Likely to be in Third-Down, Change-of-Pace Role in 2026

Tuesday, March 10, 10:19 AM

The Athletic's Saad Yousuf, Dianna Russini, and Mike DeFabo believe that with the addition of new running back Rico Dowdle in free agency, "there's a good shot" that Dowdle will be in the 1A role, and Pittsburgh Steelers RB Jaylen Warren will be the "change-of-pace" back. The 5-foot-8 Warren has been "at his best in a third-down role and out of the shotgun." It means that the 27-year-old will likely take over the pass-catching duties that Kenneth Gainwell had in 2025, when he caught a career-high 73 passes for 486 yards and three touchdowns in 17 regular-season games. Warren was the RB17 in half-PPR scoring last year, going for a career-high 958 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground on 211 carries in 16 games, adding 40 catches for 333 yards and two TDs as a pass-catcher. The addition of Dowdle is definitely a big hit to Warren's overall fantasy value going into 2026, but his role as a pass-catcher shouldn't be taken lightly in PPR formats, especially if veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers returns.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
7.3 35.5 0.4 0.8 5.9 0.0

Kyle Monangai News

Kyle Monangai Will Continue to Test Managers' Patience

Sunday, March 15, 12:12 PM

Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai took on a significant workload during his rookie campaign in 2025, but he remains the No. 2 option behind D'Andre Swift ahead of the 2026 season. Monangai finished his first year in the NFL with 783 rushing yards, 164 receiving yards, and five touchdowns, ranking as the overall RB30 in full-PPR leagues. He produced double-digit fantasy points on six different occasions, and he averaged 12.7 carries per game over the final 10 weeks of the season. However, the presence of Swift -- who remained productive in his first year back with head coach Ben Johnson -- continues to be a thorn in Monangai's side. Swift will remain the lead back as long as he's effective, giving Monangai a low floor and high ceiling weekly. As a result, dynasty managers must exercise patience when assessing the Rutgers product's role on their roster. He has top-18 running back upside long-term, but that might not take effect until Swift's contract expires after the 2026 season. Monangai should be held in all leagues this offseason. He's valued too high to buy low, but his long-term potential is far too encouraging to sell after just one season in the league. The only scenario where managers might want to consider buying Monangai at his current cost is if they already have Swift on their roster and want his handcuff.


Jaylen Warren vs. Kyle Monangai

Still trying to decide between Warren and Monangai? 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 15.4 points this week while Kyle Monangai is projected to score 7.3 points.