The Pittsburgh Steelers RB duo of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren put on a show against the Seattle Seahawks last week by combining for 220 total yards and three TDs between the two of them to keep their playoff hopes alive.
In a must-win game heading into the season finale, which Steelers RB can you trust in your fantasy football lineup against a stingy Baltimore Ravens defense? Let’s take a closer look.
Should You Start Najee Harris or Jaylen Warren This Week?
In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, our Consensus Rankings say that Warren is the player to start. His projected 11.0 points include a projection of 36 yards rushing and 28 more receiving yards on three receptions. That doesn’t seem like a big stat line, but it outperforms the consensus projection for Harris (9.6 points).
Harris’ Fantasy Outlook
Most fantasy managers are still likely a bit disappointed as a whole with the production they got from Harris concerning where he was drafted heading into the 2023 campaign, but he has certainly been better over the back half of the season.
After failing to score a touchdown through the first five weeks, Harris has managed to score seven TDs over the last 11 games while continuing to share work with Warren out of this backfield.
It’s encouraging that he had his best game of the year with a season-high in carries (27) and rushing yards (122). Unfortunately, it was the first time all year that Harris saw 20+ carries or rushed for 100 yards in a game in 2023, which makes this feel like a bit of an outlier performance from Harris.
The real problem for the power RB is his lack of involvement in the passing game since Warren arrived. Once upon a time, Harris caught 74 passes in his rookie year!
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
Fast forward to the present day, and it’s noteworthy that Harris hasn’t caught a single pass or seen a single target over his last three games combined.
Now, Harris has still managed to be a viable fantasy option while continuing to see a minimum of 12 carries over the last nine games. But his lack of a PPR floor in the pass-catching game makes him a bit of a touchdown-dependent option in a mediocre offense while in a timeshare with another quality back.
Warren’s Fantasy Outlook
Warren is the RB20 in full-PPR formats this season, which has made him the better fantasy draft-day investment from this Steelers backfield by a wide margin.
A big part of his production has come from his 56 receptions for 353 receiving yards this year, but he has also been the more efficient ball carrier all year with a 5.36 yards per carry average despite all of the offensive struggles from this offense in 2023.
Sure, Warren has only seen more than 10 carries in a game four times this year, but he has a pair of 100-yard rushing performances to Harris’ zero this season.
Remember when I said Harris hasn’t seen a single target in three straight games? Well, Warren has seen 16 targets for 14 receptions during that same stretch.
In standard formats, Harris gains a decent amount of ground because it eliminates Warren’s contributions in the receptions department, but in any PPR format whatsoever, Warren is a better fantasy play for Week 18.
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!
