A team usually known for its rushing attack, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been less than impressive with their RBs so far in 2023. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren have been sharing the majority of the carries, with neither being incredibly efficient. The Steelers welcome the Tennessee Titans in Week 9 for a Thursday Night Football matchup, and fantasy football managers are considering which Steelers RB to put in their fantasy lineups.
Should You Start Najee Harris or Jaylen Warren in Fantasy Football Week 9?
In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, PFN’s Consensus Rankings say that Harris is the RB to start between the two. He is projected to score 8.6 fantasy points based on 39 rushing yards, two receptions, and 11.4 receiving yards. Warren is projected to put up 7.7 fantasy points with 30.5 rushing yards, 3.2 receptions, and 23.9 receiving yards.
This decision is a close call, but I’m actually going to disagree with the Optimizer and go with Warren in this matchup, but just by a small amount.
Najee Harris Fantasy Outlook This Week
Going into 2023, the case for Harris was based on the ground-and-pound volume of a running team and a hopeful return to the pass-catching prowess he displayed early on in his career — in his rookie season, he had almost 100 targets.
However, this hasn’t materialized. Harris is currently the RB33, with only 313 yards on the ground and just 17 targets. He’s on a 41-target pace for the season.
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Watching Harris often feels like watching a man run through some type of nut butter; he seems lethargic and far from explosive. He only has 146 yards before contact and averages 1.7 yards before contact per attempt. Defenders are coming at him quickly and hard.
Among RBs with at least 30 attempts, Harris is 17th in yards before contact. Tennesse allows the 11th fewest yards per attempt to opposing RBs, and since Harris currently averages 3.7 (tied for 39th among RBs), I don’t foresee a great day unless he gets lucky and falls into the end zone. In PFN’s consensus rankings, Harris is the RB30.
Jaylen Warren Fantasy Outlook This Week
Tennessee is less stout against the pass. Enter Warren, the best pass-catching back of the two. The Titans give up the fourth most passing yards per game, and if the Steelers play it right, the QB should stick with short passes to Warren, letting him pick up yards after the catch.
Warren has a better yards before contact mark than Harris, with 2.5 and has 32 targets on the year. Warren comes in as the RB32 in PFN’s consensus rankings. Neither RB is a fantastic start this week, but if you have to choose, I am slightly leaning more towards Warren because of the passing work.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!