The Steelers are coming off a huge win over the Ravens and both Kenneth Gainwell ($5,000) and Jaylen Warren ($6,000) were effective in this victory, scoring 16.2 and 15.2 FPTS, respectively. It was a near even split for this backfield, with Warren seeing 11 touches on 26 snaps, whereas Gainwell saw 10 touches on 25 snaps. Usage wise, Warren operated as Pittsburgh’s main rusher, while Gainwell operated as the team’s main receiving back.
Warren outcarried Gainwell 8-4, resulting in a 53.3% rush share for the former, but it’s worth mentioning that all of Gainwell’s carries came in the red zone, while Warren saw two red zone carries. Before this game, Warren had outcarried Gainwell 26-14 in the red zone this season, so Gainwell seeing more carries than Warren in the red zone was notable, but it’s difficult to say if this was by design, as it could have just been a result of game flow. In the passing game, Gainwell held the edge, seeing six targets on 19 routes, while Warren garnered three targets on 13 routes.
As you can see, this backfield is a pretty even timeshare right now and some games are going to benefit one back over the other. When Pittsburgh is playing with a lead, Warren is likely to see more touches given he is the team’s top rusher. When the Steelers are playing from behind and passing at a high clip, Gainwell is likely to see more touches given his better role as a receiver.
This Monday, Pittsburgh is hosting the Dolphins and the Steelers are three-point favorites for this contest on DraftKings Sportsbook. Miami is giving up the fifth-most yards per rush this season (4.8) and with Pittsburgh likely to be in a positive game script, Warren is the stronger option over Gainwell, but both players are viable starters for the fantasy football playoffs this weekend.
