The Pittsburgh Steelers waited until June to sign their starting quarterback this offseason, much to the frustration of their fanbase. However, after five weeks, the Steelers are now the only team in the division yet to make a change at the position. The Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns are already on their second starting quarterbacks this year, while Joe Flacco is set to be the Cincinnati Bengals’ third.
Away from the quarterback position, though, the Steelers have a slightly less straightforward situation at running back. Jaylen Warren was the team’s lead back before missing Week 4, with Kenneth Gainwell impressing in his absence. But with Warren returning to the fold, how should fantasy football managers approach both backs in Week 6?
Jaylen Warren Fantasy Outlook
Despite Gainwell’s explosion in Pittsburgh’s Week 4 trip to Dublin, Warren should be confident of resuming his role as the team’s lead back against Cleveland. Warren was handed season-highs in both rushing attempts (18) and targets (six) in Week 3, as his role continued to grow.
No longer stuck behind Najee Harris, this season is Warren’s chance to become a franchise back, and he was clearly ahead of his teammates before his injury.
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However, the Browns defense has allowed the fewest yards per rush attempt in the NFL this season (3.0), and the second-fewest fantasy points per game to the running back position (15.6). Despite being the team’s RB1, Warren will likely be less dominant than before due to his recent injury and Gainwell’s breakout week.
The 26-year-old has been a fantasy RB2 in each of his three starts so far, but a more even split with Gainwell and Cleveland’s stellar defense makes him more of a flex this weekend.
Kenneth Gainwell Fantasy Outlook
Before Warren’s injury, Gainwell’s opportunities in the Steelers offense were declining. While his teammate saw season-high opportunities in Week 3, Gainwell saw just four rush attempts and one target, both season lows.
However, his breakout performance in Week 4 should have earned him more work moving forward and cemented his place as Pittsburgh’s RB2, ahead of rookie Kaleb Johnson. Gainwell tallied 99 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries against Minnesota and caught all six of his targets for an additional 35 yards.
Warren’s previous domination of both rushing and receiving opportunities makes it difficult to predict how the Steelers will work Gainwell into the rotation moving forward. Until that becomes clearer, the former Philadelphia Eagle will be a difficult player to trust in fantasy.
Should You Start Warren or Gainwell This Week?
The Browns’ defense is currently one to avoid in fantasy, especially for running backs, with Jahmyr Gibbs the only player to rush for over 52 yards against them this year. Warren was clearly the Steelers’ starter before his injury, and one missed week shouldn’t be enough for him to lose his leading role, but a wait-and-see policy is still advisable.
Both players are best avoided if you have enough alternative options, with question marks surrounding snap share adding to an already difficult matchup with Cleveland. Neither back was drafted highly enough to be the RB1 or RB2 on your roster, so only injuries or bye weeks should mean you need to rely on them in a running back spot.
Warren should be able to return some value as a flex option, but is unlikely to produce RB2 numbers for a fourth-straight game. Gainwell stepped up brilliantly in Ireland, but there are no guarantees that he’ll be given more than a support role this weekend, making him a desperation flex at best.
