Fantasy Impact: Rico Dowdle Injury Update; How His Potential Return Affects Jaylen Warren’s Fantasy Value

The latest injury news on Pittsburgh Steelers RB Rico Dowdle and how it could affect other players’ fantasy value on the Steelers’ roster.

Aug 21, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rico Dowdle (13) runs the ball against the New York Jets during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Pittsburgh Steelers' offense seems to be close to having back a meaningful player, that being RB Rico Dowdle. Here is his latest injury update and the impact it could have on another Steelers RB's fantasy value.

Rico Dowdle Latest Injury News 

May 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rico Dowdle (13) participates in OTA drills at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dowdle has missed the Steelers' last three games with a toe injury. He seems to be nearing a return as he participated fully in Pittsburgh’s practice on Thursday, Oct. 15, after being a limited participant at practice on Wednesday.

Before the start of the 2026 season, Dowdle and Warren were projected to have a very similar workload, but that might not be the case based on how Warren has played in Dowdle’s absence. In ESPN PPR fantasy drafts, Dowdle’s ADP was RB29, and Warren's was RB27.

Fantasy Impact of Dowdle’s Potential Return

Oct 11, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (30) runs with the ball while defended by Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Grover Stewart (90) in the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Warren, through the first five weeks of the NFL season, is on pace to be a fantasy football league winner. He has 410 rushing yards, 19 receptions, 230 receiving yards, and two TDs. That has helped him to be RB8 in PPR fantasy formats.

In the last three games where Dowdle has been out, Pittsburgh has moved away from a shared backfield and given the keys to Warren to act as a workhorse lead RB. In their last three games, he has played an average of 91.3% of snaps. In Week 1, when he and Dowdle both played a complete game, Dowdle played in 57% of snaps while Warren played in just 37% of snaps.

Will Warren see his snap share drop back down to that? No. But nevertheless, his fantasy value will take at least a slight hit with Dowdle coming back. He is an RB with a talent level that warrants carries, which can not be said about the other RBs currently rostered by Pittsburgh. But all in all, Warren is still a must-start in fantasy week in and week out, and that has been further stabilized by comments made by Steelers Head Coach Mike McCarthy earlier in the week.

"Jaylen is our featured player right now. Let's make sure we all recognize that. He's hot," McCarthy said. "It's important for us as an offense, coaches and players alike, to continue to put him in position to make plays. That won't change."

Steelers Week 6 RBs Fantasy Outlook

Warren is a must-start in Week 6, while Dowdle, in Week 6, should not be in anyone’s starting fantasy lineup.

This week, the Steelers will take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They have been one of the better rushing defenses in the NFL so far. They are giving up the second-fewest rushing yards per game in the league: 72.8. In standard fantasy formats, they are giving up the second-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing RBs in the NFL and are also giving up the fourth-fewest PPR fantasy points.

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