Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris are set to be the Pittsburgh Steelers' rushing duo for 2024. Both names are familiar to Steelers fans as they have been on the squad for the past two years. However, if it comes down to a choice between Warren and someone else away from the Steelers, does the Steelers' 2022 undrafted free agent signing deserve the nod?
Here's an in-depth look at the team's running back.
Should you draft Jaylen Warren in 2024?
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Russell Wilson's Pittsburgh Steelers present an interesting question for fantasy managers and it's not at quarterback. Both Najee Harris and Warren are on deck to share the backfield this season, which could be frustrating to watch for managers.
However, if Warren's production is high enough, it could still be a worthwhile investment. If selected with frugality, Warren makes sense as an addition.
Jaylen Warren 2024 fantasy outlook, ADP and 2023 stats
According to Sportskeeda's fantasy draft calculator, Warren is in line for a decent level of production this year. However, managers will only wonder what it could have been had Najee Harris not been in the picture this year. Warren is due to earn about 900 yards and four touchdowns on the ground and 450 yards through the air on 70 receptions.
This is set to be a modest increase over his production last season. In 2023, he earned 784 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. When it comes to receiving yards, he earned 370 yards and zero touchdowns.
Per FantasyPros, Jaylen Warren has an average draft position of about 82 and an average running back draft position of about 29. This is consistent across all scoring systems.
Is Jaylen Warren a good pick in fantasy football this year?
Warren is still in his youth entering his third season. As such, injuries should not be on the table. However, he will be competing with Najee Harris all season long. Warren is a solid move as long as managers know they are getting a flex player first and a potential stash option for Harris should he go down with an injury.
Entering Week 1, our 2024 fantasy football RB rankings have Jaylen Warren at RB26, right behind Harris.
Where should you draft Jaylen Warren this year?
With an average draft position hovering around 82 and about 29 in terms of draft position, he should not be a top priority. However, if it rolls into the sixth round and there hasn't been a lengthy run on running backs, it might be worth snagging him up. However, as the Pittsburgh Steelers' second-string back, there is a great chance to get him around 100 overall, which could be as deep as the ninth round.
Essentially, stay away from him until you have at least one player for every starting position.
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