Steelers RB Najee Harris recorded 6 attempts for 31 rushing yards in Week 1 vs. the 49ers. He also added a pair of catches for 2 yards as a receiver in the loss. Teammate Jaylen Warren received 3 carries for 6 yards and caught 5 of 6 targets for 12 yards. The Steelers split the backfield touch opportunities fairly evenly (Harris with 8, Warren with 9) on Sunday, though neither player was particularly strong. It’s also worth mentioning that Harris ran 24 receiving routes to Warren’s 19, so the usage still skews a little bit in the direction of the former first-round NFL draft pick. The duo will have an opportunity to rebound against the Browns in Week 2 on Monday night.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says Steelers RBs Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris "could split carries" vs. the 49ers today. "Najee Harris is going to be the starter, getting the first- and second-down snaps. Jaylen Warren third-down snaps," Rapoport adds. "But Warren is expected to get a little more of the first- and second-down snaps than usual." We've heard conflicting reports on this backfield all summer, so it'll be nice to actually get a look at it today. We'd still try to keep Warren on fantasy benches; Harris is a low-end RB2 in a tough matchup vs. San Francisco.
On Friday, Steelers beat reporter Dave Lolley took to Twitter to help clarify the team's RB situation. Lolley shared that the "narrative that Jaylen Warren is going to 'surpass' Najee Harris ... is simply not true," adding that Harris is the "clear No. 1" and Warren is the third-down back in Pittsburgh. Warren is the more optimal draft pick from an ADP value perspective. Regardless, both Warren and Harris are still favorably slotted in our current RB rankings. This is yet another reminder that one of the pillars of fantasy is to pursue value above all else. Learn more about our draft philosophy here at Draft Sharks.
Steelers OC Matt Canada said Monday that RB Najee Harris remains the team's No. 1 RB. “I don’t think there’s any doubt about that," Canada added. It sounds a bit like a coach trying to tamper down any talk of a RB controversy after RB Jaylen Warren's 62-yard TD in Pittsburgh's second preseason game. Canada also said that he'll use Warren "a lot." We don't doubt that Harris will open the season as the Steelers' clear lead back. The question is whether that workload split will shift during the season if Warren continues to run more efficiently than Harris. We recently updated our projections for the Steelers backfield.
Mark Kaboly of The Athletic expects little change to RB Jaylen Warren’s role. “Honestly, I don’t see much more of a role than he had last year if [Najee] Harris stays healthy,” Kaboly wrote. Harris played through a foot injury in 2022 but still appeared in all 17 games. Warren averaged 6.5 touches per game overall; nearly 11 over the final month. The second-year back is an ideal RB5.
The Steelers morphed into a run-heavy offense over the second half of last season, ranking sixth in rush rate. It sounds like the plan is to continue in that direction this year. “I think our identity was pretty clear the last nine games (of 2022),” OC Matt Canada said. “We ran the ball well, we were physical. You see who we drafted, who we acquired (this offseason). I don’t think there is any question about what our identity is going to be. We want to run the ball, we want to be physical, and we want to be a good team that can throw the football down the field. I think our identity is well known, and we’ll stay where we’re at.” The Steelers spent the 14th overall pick of this spring's draft on OT Broderick Jones and signed free-agent G Isaac Seumalo to bolster the offensive line. They return RBs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, who will presumably be busy this year. Both guys are fine picks at ADP. The run-heavy plan is worrisome for QB Kenny Pickett, WRs Diontae Johnson and George Pickens, and TE Pat Freiermuth.
Steelers RB Najee Harris totaled 111 rushing yards on 22 carries in Sunday's win vs. the Ravens. Harris also contributed a pair of catches for 12 yards and 1 TD as a receiver in Week 17. Rookie RB Jaylen Warren was effective in spelling Harris, logging an additional 76 yards on 12 carries on the ground and 3 receptions for 22 yards through the air. Fantasy managers playing into Week 18 will be thrilled to start Harris in a plus matchup vs. the Browns next Sunday. The Browns' defense ranked 30th in Football Outsiders' run defense DVOA entering Week 17 and didn't do much to stop Commanders RB Brian Robinson on Sunday.
Steelers RB Najee Harris totaled 95 yards in Saturday night's win over the Raiders. He managed just 53 yards on 16 carries (3.3 per rush) but added 6 receptions for 42 yards on a team-high 9 targets. The targets also marked a season high for Harris, with his receptions tying a season high and his yardage a new personal best. RB Jaylen Warren chimed in just 6-23 rushing and 2-7 receiving on 2 targets. Harris gets a difficult rushing matchup with the Ravens in Week 17. He managed only 33 yards on 12 carries in a Week 14 loss to the division rival.
Steelers RB Najee Harris (hip) practiced fully on Thursday. The second-year back does not carry an injury designation for Week 16's game vs. the Raiders on Saturday. The Raiders' defense ranks as the 3rd-best matchup in adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs this season. This certainly bodes well for Harris. The issue is the Steelers' o-line, and their deficiencies relegate Harris to RB2-level status for fantasy purposes.
Steelers RB Najee Harris (hip) did not practice on Wednesday. The second-year back was a limited participant yesterday, however. This development should give fantasy managers some pause. That said, we do have tomorrow's report to give us better clarity. Jaylen Warren and Benny Snell Jr. would potentially stand to benefit from a Harris absence on Saturday. Keep an eye out on the waiver wire just in case.
Steelers RB Najee Harris (hip) practiced in a limited fashion on Tuesday. Saturday’s game vs. the Raiders is just around the corner, so check back once we learn more information regarding Harris’ availability. The Raiders present the 3rd-best matchup in adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs. If Harris does play, he warrants RB2 consideration in fantasy playoff lineups. With how good of a matchup this is, and with the weather in Pittsburgh potentially being rough, teammate Jaylen Warren may see work suitable for a possible flex consideration as well.
The Steelers ran on nearly two-thirds of offensive plays in Sunday's win over the Panthers. RB Najee Harris racked up 24 carries, tallying 86 yards and a TD. No. 2 RB Jaylen Warren rushed 11 times for 38 yards and another TD. QB Mitchell Trubisky added a rushing score as well, among 6 carries for 9 yards. The RBs totaled just 1 target (an 11-yard catch for Warren). Pittsburgh faces a soft Raiders defense in Week 16 but then gets 1 of the league's worst rushing matchups in a Week 17 trip to Baltimore.
Steelers RB Najee Harris (hip) is not listed on the final Week 15 injury report. He was sidelined on Wednesday but put in full practices on Thursday and Friday. Harris will be ready for his usual role vs. the Panthers this weekend.
Steelers RB Najee Harris (hip) returned to a full practice on Thursday. He'll be ready for his usual role vs. the Panthers this weekend.
Steelers RB Najee Harris (hip) did not practice on Wednesday. He sat out the last 2 Wednesdays before playing on Sunday -- but this is a new injury. We'll get another update on Harris tomorrow. Jaylen Warren would be the top fantasy option in Pittsburgh's backfield if Harris misses Sunday's game vs. the Panthers.
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