While I do not think Jaylen Warren will see the exact same raw rushing volume he commanded in 2025, his projected workload remains well above his early-career norms, and that’s enough to land him as a viable fantasy football option in PPR formats this year.
Should You Draft Jaylen Warren in Fantasy Football?
Warren was one of the unsung heroes of the 2025 fantasy season for a lot of teams that got him at exceptional value. But now the cost has risen.
As of early September, Warren has an ADP of 74.8. His PFN rank is 70th overall. His projected points per game is 11.88 for this coming season, and he ranks as the RB25 in preliminary rankings.
In my view, he’s very boom or bust. He had 8 games with less than 4 yards per carry in 2025, and he failed to find the end zone in 12 out of 16 regular-season games played. He also only eclipsed 100 yards twice and was sharing touches with Kenneth Gainwell. Rico Dowdle, who was signed in free agency this year, only presents a greater rushing-volume threat in 2026, in my opinion.
At the same time, Warren’s 2.8% TD rate in 2025 was better than his career rate of 2.2%. His 2.4 yards after contact was top 10 in the NFL, and he was tied for 4th in broken tackles as well. You know that he can create after contact, or at least grind through those crowds with his build at 5’8″, 215.
Warren’s superpower is his blend of short-area energy, running leverage, spatial instincts, and contact balance. He maxes out on the vertical plane and isn’t a major big-play threat as a result, but he can take volume and catch passes out of the backfield as a serviceable receiving threat.
The Steelers offensive line also ranked 8th in PFN Impact last year. Zach Frazier is becoming one of the league’s best at his position, while their rookie linemen can help attack the remaining deficiencies on the front in their first season. An increasingly hamstrung Aaron Rodgers at QB means the Steelers will take great pains to preserve the run-pass balance while they can.
Warren finished 17th among RBs in PPR leagues last year. Even with a positive TD progression, that’s likely the near high-end outcome for him this season, unless Dowdle misses time and cedes additional volume to Warren. You can see the floor is relatively high, but the ceiling might also be relatively low. That’s the tug-of-war effect that you’re struggling to grapple with on Warren at RB25.
In my opinion, Warren presents pretty good value for what he is. I think Warren’s slightly higher ADP and rank reflect his slightly higher outlook than his new teammate Rico Dowdle. He’s a quality flex and depth option at the position, limited by what could be close to a 50/50 volume split. But last year, he proved that he could put up respectable yardage output without 100% of the touches, and one injury could thrust Warren into a premier role behind a strong, powerful offensive line. There is some upside there.
FANTASY RANKINGS: PFN’s FREE Fantasy PPR, Half-PPR, and Non-PPR Rankings
Jaylen Warren’s Week 1 Fantasy Outlook
Analysis provided by PFN Analyst Kyle Soppe.
The best fantasy managers don’t have the best preseason takes: they are the best at processing information as it comes in and reacting.
I have Warren ranked ahead of Rico Dowdle for the season, but not this week. During his first three seasons, over 28% of his touches came via the reception, a role that I think more closely mirrors what he is asked to do in 2026 than he was last season with Kenny Gainwell in town.
With 40 catches on 45 targets in 2025, I think we can say with confidence that Warren has earned the trust of the finicky Aaron Rodgers. That holds tremendous value in certain spots (next week in Foxboro, for example) and less in others. With Pittsburgh favored this weekend, I’m penciling in something like a 3:2 touch edge in favor of Dowdle and thus ranking him as the preferred flex if you’re considering a back in Pittsburgh.
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Where Warren Ranks Among 2026 Running Backs
- David Montgomery | HOU
- Bhayshul Tuten | JAX
- Quinshon Judkins | CLE
- Jadarian Price | SEA
- Bucky Irving | TB
- Jaylen Warren | PIT
- Rhamondre Stevenson | NE
- TreVeyon Henderson | NE
- Chuba Hubbard | CAR
- Tony Pollard | TEN
- Kenny Gainwell | TB
Check the full position group on PFN's 2026 PPR Running Back Board.
