Who Should I Start? Tony Pollard or Jaylen Warren

Friday, September 12, 10:29 AM

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard did not have his most efficient game in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos, rushing for 60 yards on 18 carries and recording one catch for 29 yards. Still, Pollard received 90% of the running back carries for Tennessee in Week 1, a trend that figures to continue as long as Titans RB2 Tyjae Spears (ankle) remains on Injured Reserve due to a high ankle sprain. Pollard gets a tough matchup in Week 2 against the Los Angeles Rams, who allowed just nine points to the Houston Texans in Week 1. However, Houston gained 127 yards on the ground, and lead back Nick Chubb averaged 4.6 yards per carry. Expect Tennessee to lean on Pollard to ease the pressure on rookie quarterback Cameron Ward and slow down a formidable Rams' pass rush. Pollard is a volume-based low-end fantasy RB2 in Week 2.

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.