Who Should I Start? Jaylen Warren or Tyjae Spears

Tuesday, September 16, 11:32 AM

On the heels of a dynamic receiving performance, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren is a top-12 fantasy option at his position through the first two weeks of the season. The fourth-year pro hauled in all four of his targets for 86 yards in Sunday's loss to the Seattle Seahawks. While his efficiency on the ground leaves room for improvement, Warren currently leads Pittsburgh in both rushing and receiving heading into a Week 3 duel against the New England Patriots. The inconsistencies we've seen from the Steelers' offense are likely to continue throughout the year, but Warren appears locked in as a focal point. Rookie Kaleb Johnson made a costly mistake on special teams and will need to earn the trust of the coaching staff before carving out an offensive role, while veteran Kenneth Gainwell has been ineffective with his touches to this point. All things considered, Warren is shaping up to be one of the best values in fantasy drafts and can be reliably started as an RB2 moving forward.

Tuesday, September 16, 9:39 PM

Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears (ankle) suffered a high ankle sprain in preseason action and was placed on Injured Reserve before the start of the regular season. Given the nature of Spears' injury, he may be able to return as soon as he is eligible in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals. The Titans have been a one-man show at running back so far this season, with Tony Pollard having logged 38 of the team's 40 rush attempts by running backs through the team's first two games. However, this was not the case down the stretch of 2024, when Spears logged double-digit touches in each of the final three games he played. Spears finished the 2024 season with 536 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns across 12 games and should have a consistent role in the Titans' offense once healthy in 2025. In fantasy leagues where he is available, Spears is a worthy stash in an IR spot ahead of his impending return.