Who Should I Start? Kenneth Gainwell or Julius Chestnut

Monday, September 29, 9:15 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell was inserted into the number one running back role when Jaylen Warren (knee) was a late scratch from Sunday's contest against the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Gainwell tallied 99 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries in the Steelers' 24-21 win over the Vikings. He also caught all six of his targets for 35 yards and scored from one and four yards out. Gainwell has solidified himself as the team's clear-cut number two back, and will be a hot waiver-wire pickup this week if he wasn't already rostered. With the Steelers heading into their Week 5 bye week, Warren may likely recover and return in Week 6 as the primary back for the Steelers; however, based on the way that Gainwell played on Sunday, it's likely he gets more involved down the stretch.

Saturday, October 4, 12:57 AM

Tennessee Titans running back Julius Chestnut could be headed for a reduced workload in Week 5 despite a favorable matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. Chestnut has operated as a backup to Tony Pollard through the first four weeks of the season. While his usage has been relatively modest given that Pollard leads all NFL running backs in snap share, Chestnut has still been his backup and did see the field in every game, logging five total carries. That marginal usage could drop to no usage as soon as Tyjae Spears (ankle) returns to game action. Spears is currently on injured reserve but has been designated to return and is questionable for Week 5. Chestnut's already limited opportunity share would surely disappear entirely as soon as another reliable, proven player like Spears is added to the backfield. If Spears plays Sunday, Chestnut, 24, might not touch the ball. Even if he remains on IR, though, the Sacred Heart product is due for just a couple of touches and remains off the fantasy radar.