Who Should I Start? Tony Pollard or Jaylen Warren

Wednesday, August 6, 1:06 PM

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard is listed as the RB1 on the team's first unofficial preseason depth chart ahead of Tyjae Spears. Meanwhile, Spears is listed as the co-RB2 with rookie Kalel Mullings. Head coach Brian Callahan has envisioned more of an even split in this year's backfield between Pollard and Spears, and ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said earlier this week that "people I've talked to in Tennessee believe Spears has positioned himself for an uptick" in opportunities after he averaged 9.5 touches per game last year. Assuming everyone is healthy, Pollard is probably the RB1, but the margin figures to shrink between he and Spears in 2025. It puts Pollard more on the RB2/3 borderline, while Spears is a decent RB4/flex target in PPR leagues or as a handcuff to Pollard. In his first year in Tennessee, Pollard had a career-high 1,079 rushing yards and five TDs on 260 carries.

Tuesday, September 2, 1:04 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that running back Jaylen Warren will "be our featured runner," according to Christopher Carter of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "His progress has been very evident and he's to be congratulated ... Certainly he'll be our featured runner. Certainly you'll see [Kaleb Johnson/Kenneth Gainwell], but at what time and at what degree [will depend week-to-week]," Tomlin said. The Steelers signed Warren to a two-year extension worth $12 million guaranteed this week, so this news shouldn't really come as a surprise. It's obviously good news for those that have the 26-year-old in fantasy and bad news for rookie Kalen Johnson, who is the RB3 on the unofficial Week 1 depth chart. The Steelers are expected to be more of a ground-and-pound team on offense this year, making Warren a viable RB3/flex play in fantasy lineups in Week 1 against the Jets.