Why Fantasy Football Managers Should Target Jaylen Warren On The Trade Block
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The fantasy football season is entering Week 6, and fantasy players are finding greater outlook from lineups as the season approaches its halfway point. Certain lineup struggles such as injuries, inconsistent performances and other outside factors could hamper production, forcing fantasy managers to consider trades to bolster output.
Monitoring potential trade candidates, Jaylen Warren’s surge helps present a favorable addition for managers to explore. Warren has helped the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 3-2 record through five games, igniting the best three-game stretch of his career back in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals, a trend that has translated directly to fantasy.
Jaylen Warren Skyrocketing Up Fantasy Rankings With Recent Surge
With Rico Dowdle nursing a foot injury, Warren has taken over as Pittsburgh’s bell-cow in the backfield, a role that has bolstered the offense as a whole significantly. Since Week 3, Warren has tallied 49 carries for 321 yards (third in NFL during stretch) and a touchdown, adding 12 catches for 169 yards and a second touchdown. During this stretch, Warren leads all players with 490 yards from scrimmage, positioned at RB8 in PPR entering Week 6.
Jaylen Warren through 5 weeks:
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) October 12, 2026
410 rushing yards
230 receiving yards
2 total TDs
Only player to lead their team in both rushing and receiving yards this season. pic.twitter.com/Bi2uHIYWsG
He’s already vastly outperformed his preseason ADP ranking of RB27, and could still be considered as a relatively cheap trade candidate for running back-needy fantasy lineups. Warren is the feature threat for Pittsburgh’s offense, and the recent scheme change helps project a bump in volume for the remainder of the season. With such volume, he’s recorded highly efficient production, ranking near the top of both the NFL and fantasy football among his position group.
Warren Set To Continue Upward Trend Going Forward
Pittsburgh is positioned well following a 3-2 start, but the team’s best football remains in front of them. With Warren now emerging as the focal point of the offense, he’ll continue to take on significant volume in a string of favorable matchups for the Steelers.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Pittsburgh’s Week 6 opponent, have allowed 14-point performances to opposing backs in three games this season. Warren is arguably the top back Tampa has faced thus far, and could have problems limiting the star running back. Following their trip to Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh will square off against the New Orleans Saints’ 30th-ranked run defense, presenting another ideal situation for Warren to produce in fantasy.
These matchups will each feature a massive role for Warren, with the Steelers’ offense finding its identity behind the star running back. Fantasy managers looking for reliable output should consider trading for Warren, who could emerge as a league-winner down the stretch of the year.
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Ethen Hutton is a MLB, WNBA, College, and Fantasy contributor at On SI. Previously, he's covered the NBA, WNBA and NFL for Sportskeeda. Hutton is also a passionate fantasy football player and an immense music lover.