The Pittsburgh Steelers rushed for 172 yards last week against one of the league’s top defenses in the Cleveland Browns. Now, the Steelers play the Cincinnati Bengals and their 31st-ranked rush defense. So, which Steelers running back — Jaylen Warren or Najee Harris — is worth a start in your fantasy football lineup? Let’s break down their fantasy outlook.
Should You Start Jaylen Warren or Najee Harris This Week?
In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, our Consensus Rankings say that Warren is the player to start. His projected 10.6 points include 36 rushing yards, four catches, and 28 receiving yards. That projected stat line outperforms the consensus projections of Harris (8.7 points).
My ranking for these two running backs aligns with the consensus. Warren has been much more productive lately, even if he isn’t getting on the field as often as Harris.
Fantasy Outlook for Warren This Week
With the news coming down Tuesday that the Steelers have fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada, there is hope among many fans that this move will signal a shift in the workload in the Pittsburgh backfield.
Warren has simply been playing better than Harris for most of the season, yet has either shared or gotten less time on the field than Harris.
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There simply is no logical reason why Warren should not be afforded RB1 attention going forward. Three weeks ago, he had a career-high 88 rushing yards against the Tennessee Titans, and each week since he has surpassed that career high. Last week was his best game to date, with 129 rushing yards and a touchdown against the Browns and their mighty defense.
But he got those 129 yards on only nine carries, and for the game he had just 12 touches.
Warren’s production of late — 106.0 rush yards per game and two rushing touchdowns in last three games — certainly should be rewarded with additional time on the field. He has been on the field for 50% or more of the Steelers’ offensive snaps just once this season, and that came two weeks ago when he had a career-high 15 carries for 101 yards, his first 100-yard game.
With a new offensive coordinator taking over the rest of the season, this figures to be the opportunity to stretch out Warren’s time and see what exactly he can do.
Fantasy Outlook for Harris This Week
Harris followed up his best game of the season in Week 10 — 85 rush yards and one rushing touchdown vs. the Packers — by having one of his worst efforts last week. Harris finished with just 35 rushing yards and less than three yards a carry (2.9).
Harris now has as many games under 50 rushing yards (five) as he has over 50 rushing yards (five). How much time Harris gets on the field going forward, especially after this major coaching change, remains to be seen.
But clearly, the Steelers have options if they choose to give Harris fewer touches the rest of the season. I suspect this will be the case as well.
The Optimizer projects Harris to finish with 35 rush yards, two receptions, and 10 receiving yards.
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