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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren has been a solid player since joining the team as an undrafted free agent in 2022.
The former Oklahoma State star has averaged over five yards per rushing attempt in his career on 6.9 attempts per game. Unfortunately, his fantasy upside has been limited because of Najee Harris.
While many have high hopes for Warren in 2024, fantasy players should temper their expectations for the young runner after getting hurt in the preseason.
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Will Jaylen Warren Play In Week 1?
Warren suffered a hamstring injury in the Steelers’ Week 2 preseason 9-3 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Pittsburgh expects the third-year running back to miss multiple weeks with the injury, knocking him out for the remainder of the preseason. More importantly, his status for Week 1 is up in the air.
Steelers RB Jaylen Warren (hamstring) to miss multiple weeks; Week 1 status up in air, per @TomPelissero https://t.co/TMtzmH1ZT4 pic.twitter.com/5LThuKc6yc
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) August 18, 2024
Jaylen Warren 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook
The hamstring injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for Warren and fantasy players. The Steelers’ offense has lacked an explosive element in the preseason outside of some Justin Fields runs. Last year, the former Oklahoma State star averaged 5.3 yards per rushing attempt, 3.52 yards after contact per attempt, and an 8.1% explosive run rate (per Fantasy Points Data).
Furthermore, Warren was the RB25, averaging 9.8 half-point PPR fantasy points per game as the No. 2 running back in Pittsburgh. He had 149 rushing attempts for 784 yards and four touchdowns last season. However, his biggest impact came in the passing game, totaling 61 receptions on 74 targets for 370 receiving yards.
Jaylen Warren gets a TD of his own!
📺: #GBvsPIT on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/kECSNGbyLL pic.twitter.com/V0Kycgw8zB— NFL (@NFL) November 12, 2023
Hopefully, Warren can play in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons. However, hamstring injuries can flare up and reappear later in the season. Fantasy players should drop Warren in their pre-draft rankings and move Harris up a few spots. While both running backs should have a fantasy-relevant role in 2024, Warren’s injury is a concern that could become significant later in the year.
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