Pittsburgh Steelers Fantasy Football Training Camp Position Battles: Jaylen Warren Vs Rico Dowdle

With NFL training camps underway, we are now turning our attention to position battles that will have the biggest impact on fantasy football in 2026.

One of those key battles will be the Pittsburgh Steelers running backs. In Pittsburgh, Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle will be battling for the starting job. While both are likely to have a significant role in the offense, which one should fantasy football want on their team?

Steelers RBs Rico Dowdle and Jaylen Warren are splitting first team reps, per @DKPghSports

“Rico Dowdle got reps ahead of Jaylen Warren today, which is the opposite of yesterday. But, both took reps with the first-team offense.” pic.twitter.com/rGDc4StDJP
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) July 30, 2026

RB Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers

The Case For Jaylen Warren

Warren is the running back being drafted first in this committee, so the fantasy community is clearly a bit higher on him. He's being drafted as the RB27 overall near the end of the sixth round.

We have seen Warren establish himself as a strong pass-catcher and efficient rusher, averaging 4.7 yards per carry over the course of his career. Despite the change in coaching staff in Pittsburgh, he will enter the season as the established veteran in the locker room. His role is the most secure between the two backs entering the 2026 season.

The Case Against Jaylen Warren

Last season, Warren was handed the reins to the backfield after the Steelers let Najee Harris walk, but he was often outplayed by Kenneth Gainwell. It's pretty clear at this point that he is not the bell-cow back that many fantasy owners envisioned heading into 2025.

We expect him to revert back to a similar role to the one he had when Harris was in Pitt with him. While that role still has value, he will no longer handle the bulk of the carries or the goal-line work if that is the case. That damages his fantasy value, especially in non-PPR leagues.

RB Rico Dowdle, Pittsburgh Steelers

The Case For Rico Dowdle

You can get Dowdle at a cheaper cost as the RB31 near the end of the seventh round. While Warren is the veteran in the locker room, Dowdle has experience in Mike McCarthy's system from their days with the Dallas Cowboys. We fully expect him to lead the backfield in early-down carries and goal-line work. If one of these two backs is going to get 15-20 carries in a game, it's going to be Dowdle.

The Case Against Rico Dowdle

Despite his fantasy explosion for a few weeks last season, Dowdle has always been a low-upside option. While he will give you more consistency, he's not going to win you many weeks either. If one of these backs is going to end up taking a full back seat, it would probably be him, although we don't expect that to happen.

Verdict

We are going to give a slight edge to Dowdle here. Not only is he cheaper, but we will take the consistency and volume over the pass-catching upside. This is a tough committee to judge though, and a lot can still change over the next month.

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