Kaleb Johnson Named Steelers RB3: An Updated Look At Pittsburgh’s Backfield

An outlook on the Pittsburgh Steelers' running back room for fantasy football after Kaleb Johnson was named RB3.

Aug 16, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson (20) looks to stiff arm Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Christian Izien (29) during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

A hype train was built off the college tape, rookie out of Iowa, Kaleb Johnson had put together, leaving many to believe that in year one of the NFL, he’d be a steal in fantasy football. That theory will have to wait, with Johnson recently being listed as RB3 on the Steelers’ latest depth chart. He is now listed behind former Philadelphia Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell. Here are the fantasy implications the breaking news might have on the Steelers' backfield.

Jaylen Warren Fantasy Outlook

If you drafted Jaylen Warren at his ESPN PPR rank of RB28, you might have gotten one of the bigger steals of the fantasy season. The Steelers have shown that they are more than happy with what the fourth-year running back out of Oklahoma State has shown this offseason. On September 1st, he signed a two-year contract extension with the organization.

The #Steelers and RB Jaylen Warren agreed to terms on a 2-year deal that pays him over $7M this year and includes $12M guaranteed.

With no career starts, Warren gets his deal done by agents @NessMugrabi and @davidcanter of @aurasportsgroup. pic.twitter.com/gimQoX3P5R

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 1, 2025

Warren, last year for the Steelers, shared carries with now Los Angeles Chargers running back Najee Harris. Warren in 2024 had 511 yards on 120 carries. The thing that has always stood out about his game is the ability he has shown as a receiving threat. In the 2023 season, he had 61 receptions on 74 targets over 16 games. Last season, he had 38 receptions on 47 targets through 15 games. With the duties of an RB1 for the first time in his career, Warren has the chance to be a PPR monster. I’d slide him to around an adjusted RB PPR rank of anywhere from RB15-20. Players within this range include Alvin Kamara, Chuba Hubbard, and TreVeyon Henderson.

Kaleb Johnson and Kenneth Gainwell Fantasy Outlook

The Steelers first official depth chart has Kaleb Johnson listed as RB3.

Jaylen Warren is the lead back.
Kenneth Gainwell is listed as the backup. pic.twitter.com/jUIfrzYsAV

— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) September 2, 2025

For many fantasy managers, this is incredibly disappointing news. The likelihood of Kaleb Johnson playing to his RB PPR rank on ESPN at RB34 is highly unlikely. The workload for Johnson, which was once unpredictable, can now be chalked up to being limited. This year will be a proving ground for the former Hawkeye in establishing himself as a good NFL RB. He does have the potential to gain more carries throughout the 2025 season if he excels in his limited play. But he should still be shopped across all formats to somebody who may still have high hopes for him after the recent news.

As far as the fantasy outlook for Kenneth Gainwell goes, he should only be considered a potential flex play if Warren is listed out at any time this season. He has been an RB2 the bulk of his career, and in that role, he has shown he has explosive play ability. But it is nothing worth putting stock in at this moment.