Pittsburgh Steelers RB Jaylen Warren has been an often-discussed NFL player for fantasy football. Depending on where you look, there are competing narratives regarding Warren’s fantasy outlook. Some people have him as a league winner, while others have him as an average fantasy running back.
We’ll help you look through the weeds to find the correct answer surrounding Warren by breaking down his fantasy outlook for the 2024 season.
Jaylen Warren’s Fantasy Profile for the 2024 Season
First, let’s start with Warren’s average draft position (ADP) for this year. He sits at 84th overall, indicating he is landing as most teams’ RB2/Flex player.
As a runner, Warren has shown he can produce for Pittsburgh. He finished fourth overall in yards per rush with 5.3 and was 17th overall in first downs per rush, according to TruMedia.
Warren was no slouch in the passing game, either. He recorded 61 receptions on 74 targets, ranking him fifth overall among running backs. Warren also finished with the 13th-most receiving yards at the position, the 21st-highest yards per reception, and even the seventh-highest yards after catch (YAC).
His most significant issue, however, is within his running back room, as the Steelers still have their former first-round draft selection, Najee Harris. Harris is no slouch of a running back and needs to catch up where Warren’s numbers sit across multiple statistical outliers.
The real question is, can both backs prosper in this Steelers offense?
Is Warren a Good Fantasy Pick?
Although Warren dominates all the above stats, we suggest you fade him this draft season. He’s dealing with a hamstring injury he suffered in Week 2 of the NFL preseason.
Hamstring injuries are tricky, especially for running backs. They tend to linger even after they heal. A strain could last two or three weeks, while a higher grade could last four to six.
Even if Warren doesn’t miss much time, the risk of reinjury combined with Harris’ ability to take all the first-team reps could hamper the former’s fantasy outlook this offseason.
At his ADP, you can still draft running backs with opportunities to be a volume king, such as Devin Singletary, Brian Robinson Jr., or even Javonte Williams, who can all be drafted later on.
The one positive in Warren’s fantasy outlook is his bye week lands in Week 9, allowing you to have any Steelers production in your lineup for the crucial weeks leading into the fantasy playoffs.
We love Warren’s talent on the field, but when a player suffers a soft-tissue injury right before the season, we must change our draft strategy and aim for another running back to draft.