Justin Herzig urged drafters to be overweight on Jaylen Warren at current ADP. He cited historical research showing third-round rookie running backs hit a usable fantasy season less than 20 % of the time, so new draftee Caleb Johnson is unlikely to leapfrog Warren immediately. Even if the rookie flashes, Warren’s proven pass-catching role and efficiency should still provide weekly RB2/FLEX scores. Herzig reminded listeners that Warren produced 10 startable weeks last season while sharing with Najee Harris and argued there are "several pathways"—injury, rookie ineffectiveness, or pure passing-down usage—for him to clear that mark in 2024. The combination of stable floor and contingent upside makes Warren a smash pick in the middle rounds of Best Ball Mania drafts.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound urged drafters to grab Jaylen Warren now, before the inevitable price hike that comes once Steelers beat writers crank up the "Warren is the starter" narrative in training camp. He noted that glowing May coach-speak already hints at Warren opening the season as RB1 and expects Underdog rooms to react by pushing his ADP into the high-90s range (97-98 overall). Pat said he is comfortable clicking Warren around pick 120 today, banking double-digit closing-line value while rookies like Roman Hemby fight for touches. Because Warren showed top-15 efficiency in yards after contact per attempt last year and fits Pittsburgh’s plan to lean run-heavy behind their upgraded offensive line, Pat views him as a perfect mid-round anchor for zero-RB or hero-RB builds.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound clicked Jaylen Warren in Round 5 specifically to dodge the six-team Week-8 bye apocalypse. He wants every flex spot live that week because a single zero ends your entry once the field shrinks to one-on-one matchups. Warren’s early Week-5 bye clears that hurdle while giving drafter’s access to Pittsburgh’s most explosive back—Pat noted Warren’s 5.3 yards per touch and 18% targets-per-route rate both dwarfed Najee Harris last year. Add in Pat’s earlier call for a mid-season role takeover and Warren becomes the perfect combination of upside and schedule insulation for Eliminator builds.

Chris Raybon warned that Jaylen Warren’s fantasy outlook takes a hit after Pittsburgh spent premium draft capital on Caleb Johnson. Raybon said "the writing’s on the wall" that the Steelers do not view Warren as a full-time starter—pointing to Warren’s failure to wrestle the job from Najee Harris despite multiple chances and a costly goal-line fumble last year. He expects Warren to remain a satellite back who handles passing downs and 6-10 carries, limiting him to flex value unless Johnson falters. Raybon recommended downgrading Warren a full tier in both best-ball and redraft rankings.