The NFL season is quickly approaching, and fantasy drafts are in full swing already. At DraftKings, you can play an array of different season-long fantasy contests.
Below, I take a look at the fantasy value of all of the players in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ backfield.
Pittsburgh Steelers Backfield
The Steelers’ offense will look much different this season. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields have both headed to different sides of New York, and Aaron Rodgers has left New York to quarterback the Steelers. Last year’s WR1, George Pickens, is off to Dallas, and the Steelers brought in DK Metcalf to fill his shoes. The Steelers will not only have a new QB1 and WR1, but a new RB1 as well. Longtime starting running back Najee Harris left for the Chargers in free agency. To replace Harris’ touches, the Steelers will be upgrading last year’s backup, Jaylen Warren, to the starting role. They also used a third-round draft pick on former Iowa Hawkeye Kaleb Johnson in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Steelers were a run-heavy offense last season, ranking fifth in the NFL in rush play percentage. It will be fascinating to see if that continues, given the fact that the Jets ranked 29th in rush play percentage with Aaron Rodgers at the helm last year. Mike Tomlin’s philosophy has always been a run-heavy, smashmouth offense, and Arthur Smith called it that way in his first year as offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh. However, Rodgers has always liked having a lot of control over the play-calls at the line of scrimmage. In New York, that was easy to do with his old OC Nathaniel Hackett running the offense. In Pittsburgh, it might be different with Arthur Smith and Mike Tomlin in charge.
Running Back Handcuffs: Kaleb Johnson
Jaylen Warren will be the primary back after backing up Najee Harris for several seasons. He is a dynamic back with an ability to be productive in the passing game. He had over 1,000 rushing + receiving yards in 2023-24, and over 800 in 15 games last season. Backing him up will be rookie Kaleb Johnson. Johnson rushed for over 1,500 yards at Iowa last season, ranking seventh in college football in rushing yards. Johnson seems like the perfect fit for the Steelers, as they run a similar brand of smashmouth run-heavy offense at Iowa.
The dynamic between Warren and Johnson will be very interesting to watch unfold. While Warren is likely going to be the primary back, with Johnson serving as the backup, Warren is the superior receiver out of the backfield. Johnson had just 22 catches for 188 yards last season at Iowa. Part of that can be attributed to Iowa’s terrible passing offense, but Johnson’s best skill set is running between the tackles. The Steelers will likely want Warren on the field for obvious passing situations on third downs. That could allow Johnson to take more carries on first and second downs than a “backup” running back normally would. It could end up being more of an even split between these two backs based on the situation, rather than a clear RB1/RB2 split.
From a dynasty fantasy perspective, Kaleb Johnson is a great pick. He should see a decent role in his rookie season, as Jaylen Warren is not a traditional every-down running back. Warren is also on a one-year contract in Pittsburgh. If Johnson has a productive rookie season, he will likely be handed the reins to be the full-time back in 2026. Even for single-season fantasy leagues, Johnson is a necessary handcuff for Jaylen Warren, as the dynamic of this backfield remains unclear.
