Jaylen Warren isn’t repeating his 2025 workload, and that’s fine for fantasy football purposes. He’s still the back to roster in Pittsburgh, and Rico Dowdle is the depth piece I’d avoid trusting on a weekly basis.
Why Jaylen Warren Is Still Pittsburgh’s Lead Fantasy Football Back in 2026
Warren’s case starts with versatility most backs don’t have. He’s one of four running backs with at least 300 receiving yards and 500 rushing yards in each of the past three seasons. The other three names on that list are Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs and Breece Hall: impressive company given that his ADP doesn’t trend anywhere close to that trio.
The efficiency backs it up. Since 2022, among running backs with at least 500 carries, Warren ranks sixth in yards per carry at 4.7, ahead of Jonathan Taylor and just behind the aforementioned Robinson. He’s sharing that tier with De’Von Achane, Jahmyr Gibbs, James Cook and Derrick Henry, all players who get talked about as home-run threats. Warren doesn’t get that reputation, but the per-carrynumbers say he’s earned it.
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A reduced role doesn’t erase that profile. Even a step back from last season’s rushing volume still leaves Warren working from a per-touch baseline that’s above his own career norm and above what most committee backs bring to the passing game. That combination of receiving work and rushing efficiency is what keeps him ahead of Dowdle regardless of exactly how the carries split.
Rico Dowdle’s Role Shows Where Pittsburgh’s Trust Really Sits
Dowdle has real talent, but usage tells the story better than talent alone. In Carolina’s Wild Card loss to the Rams last season, the Panthers gave Chuba Hubbard 13 carries to Dowdle’s five. When the game mattered most, the coaching staff didn’t lean on Dowdle, and that’s the kind of signal that should carry into how he’s valued in a new backfield.
Warren, on the other hand, earned real trust from Aaron Rodgers last season, and that matters more in this situation than most given that the future Hall of Fame QB is very picky about who he is comfortable with. A back who’s already built that rapport has an easier path to staying involved even if the overall touch count comes down from a career-high year.
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None of this makes Warren a locked-in RB1. It makes him the safer bet in a backfield that’s likely splitting work more evenly than it did in 2025. Draft him as the lead back with a real receiving role attached, not as a touches-league workhorse, and treat Dowdle as a name to know if Warren gets hurt, not a weekly flex play in his own right.
For me, Warren is a nice pick in the sixth round and the Steeler I land on most often. The target hierarchy with Michael Pittman in the mix is an unknown, and I don’t trust Rodgers to offer nearly enough upside on a per-throw basis to make him viable in most leagues. I’m in no hurry to get Pittsburgh exposure this season, but if I’m doing it, it’s via Warren.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.