The timeshare in the Pittsburgh Steelers backfield has favored RB Najee Harris over the last two games, with Matt Canada no longer calling the plays. Still, his knee injury makes RB Jaylen Warren an interesting fantasy football option heading into their Thursday Night Football matchup against the New England Patriots.
Can you trust Warren in your fantasy lineup heading into Week 14? Let’s take a closer look.
Should You Start Jaylen Warren in Week 14?
Editor’s note: Najee Harris is active for Thursday Night Football against the Patriots.
Analysis by Kyle Soppe | Warren continued to show flashes of being prior years Tony Pollard (nine carries for 59 yards, his third game since the beginning of November with under 12 carries and over 55 rushing yards), but until we see him unleashed, we simply can’t bet on it.
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He held an 8-1 edge over Harris on third-down snaps, a role that you would think would put him in position to boost his numbers via receptions.
That train of thought is logical. It also would have been 100% wrong last week, as he totaled all of 0.1 half-PPR points through the air. Given his limited usage, we need a floor to be established as a pass catcher, something that we simply don’t have right now.
Warren is a well above-average NFL back, but his fantasy projection moving forward doesn’t reflect that. Using him in a game where the opponent can force Pittsburgh into an aggressive offensive approach (15 catches total in three games against the Jags, Texans, and 49ers) makes sense — we just don’t have any of those spots truly left on Pittsburgh’s schedule:
- Week 15 at IND
- Week 16 vs. CIN
- Week 17 at SEA
Harris is under contract for another season — I’ll be buying the depressed Warren stock in August just like I did this August. I’m stubborn about him long-term, but that stubbornness doesn’t mean I’m planning on playing him for the remainder of this season.
Trending Start/Sit Searches for Warren
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Should You Start Jaylen Warren or Gus Edwards?
Talk about two very different types of fantasy options at the RB position for Week 14. Baltimore Ravens RB Gus Edwards has been a touchdown machine in 2023 with 10 rushing scores through the first 12 games of the year.
However, he saw fewer carries than the dynamic rookie RB Keaton Mitchell against the Los Angeles Chargers, which led to his second-lowest fantasy outing of the season.
Edwards has just 10 receptions on the season, which makes him a TD-dependent option for Week 14 against the Los Angeles Rams.
On the other hand, Warren has been consistently involved in the passing game with 38 receptions on the year, giving him a pretty reliable PPR floor, but he continues to see fewer carries than Harris in the Pittsburgh backfield.
MORE: Katz’s Fantasy Football Start ’Em, Sit ’Em Picks for Week 14
The Steelers are forced to rely on QB Mitchell Trubisky to sustain drives with Kenny Pickett unavailable, making their offense difficult to trust against a formidable New England defense.
If Harris is unable to take the field in Week 14, then I would go with Warren. However, if Harris plays on Thursday, I would rather go with Edwards in hopes of the Baltimore offense generating enough scoring opportunities for him to find the end zone against the Rams.
Should You Start Warren or Alexander Mattison?
When we last saw the Minnesota Vikings offense, QB Joshua Dobbs was a turnover machine in an upset loss at the hands of the Chicago Bears. Alexander Mattison was efficient with 52 yards on just 10 carries, but the scoring opportunities simply weren’t there.
While Ty Chandler did steal some work from Mattison, the ladder was still the leading back by a comfortable margin. Mattison has the better matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, but it once again comes down to Harris’ health.
If Harris is unable to take the field in Week 14, then I would go with Warren. However, if Harris plays on Thursday, I would rather go with Mattison with the expectation that this offense has a bounce-back performance with the return of All-Pro WR Justin Jefferson back in the mix for the first time since Week 5.
PFN Consensus’ Week 14 RB Rankings
1) Christian McCaffrey | SF (vs. SEA)
2) Alvin Kamara | NO (vs. CAR)
3) Austin Ekeler | LAC (vs. DEN)
4) Isiah Pacheco | KC (vs. BUF)
5) Tony Pollard | DAL (vs. PHI)
6) Travis Etienne Jr. | JAX (at CLE)
7) Zack Moss | IND (at CIN)
8) Josh Jacobs | LV (vs. MIN)
9) Rachaad White | TB (at ATL)
10) Kyren Williams | LAR (vs. BAL)
11) Bijan Robinson | ATL (vs. TB)
12) Jahmyr Gibbs | DET (at CHI)
13) James Cook | BUF (at KC)
14) Raheem Mostert | MIA (vs. TEN)
15) Derrick Henry | TEN (at MIA)
16) Saquon Barkley | NYG (vs. GB)
17) Javonte Williams | DEN (at LAC)
18) D’Andre Swift | PHI (at DAL)
19) Breece Hall | NYJ (vs. HOU)
20) David Montgomery | DET (at CHI)
21) De’Von Achane | MIA (vs. TEN)
22) Kenneth Walker III | SEA (at SF)
23) Gus Edwards | BAL (vs. LAR)
24) Jerome Ford | CLE (vs. JAX)
25) AJ Dillon | GB (at NYG)
26) Joe Mixon | CIN (vs. IND)
27) Jaylen Warren | PIT (vs. NE)
28) Najee Harris | PIT (vs. NE)
29) Ezekiel Elliott | NE (at PIT)
30) Alexander Mattison | MIN (at LV)
31) Zach Charbonnet | SEA (at SF)
32) Devin Singletary | HOU (at NYJ)
33) Khalil Herbert | CHI (vs. DET)
34) Chuba Hubbard | CAR (at NO)
35) Keaton Mitchell | BAL (vs. LAR)
36) Dameon Pierce | HOU (at NYJ)
37) Tyjae Spears | TEN (at MIA)
38) Kareem Hunt | CLE (vs. JAX)
39) Roschon Johnson | CHI (vs. DET)
40) Miles Sanders | CAR (at NO)
41) Ty Chandler | MIN (at LV)
42) Tyler Allgeier | ATL (vs. TB)
43) Samaje Perine | DEN (at LAC)
44) D’Ernest Johnson | JAX (at CLE)
45) Rico Dowdle | DAL (vs. PHI)
46) Cordarrelle Patterson | ATL (vs. TB)
47) Royce Freeman | LAR (vs. BAL)
48) Jamaal Williams | NO (vs. CAR)
49) Kenneth Gainwell | PHI (at DAL)
50) Joshua Kelley | LAC (vs. DEN)
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