Tag: Jaylen Warren

Sorry, Baltimore: The Steelers didn’t want Diontae Johnson for good reason

While Baltimore may be excited to acquire Diontae Johnson from Carolina, the former Steelers WR carries a lot of baggage as well.

Memo to Ravens fans: Be careful what you wish for. While the Steel City faithful appreciate wide receiver Diontae Johnson’s efforts as an elite route-runner for Pittsburgh from 2019-2023, fans will be quick to remind Baltimore exactly why he was traded away to Carolina last offseason. 

Johnson struggled with making routine catches early in his career and bore more than his fair share of blame for drama in the Steel City, ranging from lack of effort on multiple plays to heated arguments with Steelers players and coaches. 

On a crucial play last season against the Cincinnati Bengals, running back Jaylen Warren fumbled the football, and Johnson seemingly walked away from the opportunity to recover it. His initial response left much to be desired: “I’m not perfect.” 

Johnson was also involved in a heated locker room argument with free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick after the safety took issue with Johnson’s treatment of the coaches on the sideline. 

Johnson was traded this week to the Baltimore Ravens from the Carolina Panthers, and he has certainly circled his new team’s Week 11 and Week 16 matchups with Pittsburgh.

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Fantasy Football: 10 running backs to target on the waiver wire

Isaac Guerendo and Tyrone Tracy highlight this week’s list of running backs to target on the fantasy football waiver wire.

The San Francisco 49ers are going into their bye this week, and there’s some hope that star running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) could be set to return in Week 10. Meanwhile, fellow Niners running back Jordan Mason is now nursing a reaggravated shoulder injury.

With McCaffrey’s status still uncertain and Mason injured, Isaac Guerendo is the top running back to target on the fantasy football waiver wire this week. Even if CMC returns after the bye, Guerendo could serve as the RB2 if Mason misses any time.

Elsewhere on the fantasy football waiver wire, Denver Broncos rookie Bo Nix (37%) is suddenly a hot target at quarterback, Cedric Tillman (16%) is turning heads at wide receiver and Taysom Hill (20%) is a popular streaming option at tight end.

Today, though, we’re focusing on the running back position. We’ve put together a quick list of ten running backs to consider on the fantasy football waiver wire this week.

Fantasy Football Running Back Waiver Wire Targets

1. RB Isaac Guerendo (4%): He’s on a bye this week, but Guerendo could be a crucial handcuff in the second half of the season and if CMC and Mason are ever sidelined, Guerendo is the next man up.

2. RB Tyrone Tracy (47%): Devin Singletary is back healthy, but Tracy remains the RB1 in New York. He dominated the team’s backfield touches on Monday Night Football with 20 carries for 145 yards and a touchdown. Tracy’s concussion status should be monitored, but he is a priority add off the waiver wire this week.

3. RB Tyler Allgeier (51%): Allgeier is sharing touches with Bijan Robinson. Allgeier got 12 carries on Sunday and Robinson got 13. Robinson (seven targets) is much more involved in the passing game, but Allgeier has standalone value as Atlanta’s RB2.

4. RB Braelon Allen (25%): The Jets are a mess, but Allen (12 carries) remains in the mix alongside Breece Hall (16 carries). He’s a potential flex play or an RB2 candidate in deep leagues. 

5. RB Khalil Herbert (5%): He was a healthy scratch on Sunday, but with the NFL’s trade deadline approaching, Herbert could get a fresh start soon. Herbert is worth stashing in case he lands on a RB-needy team.

6. RB Ray Davis (17%): James Cook is the guy in Buffalo, but Davis is an important handcuff with some standalone value.

7. RB Blake Corum (17%): Corum is another important handcuff behind Kyren Williams.

8. RB Trey Benson (17%): Completing the handcuff trio is Benson, who is an important stash behind James Conner, who has never played a full season.

9. RB Keaton Mitchell (4%): He returned to practice last week and could be on track to return to the active roster last week. Mitchell is worth stashing in deep leagues.

10. RB Kimani Vidal (7%): He’s mostly a handcuff behind J.K. Dobbins right now, but Vidal has made the most of his limited touches with the Chargers.

Bonus RBs: Tank Bigsby (69%), Bucky Irving (69%), Jaylen Warren (62%) and Jonathon Brooks (60%) are already rostered in most leagues, but double-check just to make sure they’re not still available in your league. 

Roster percentages for players listed in this article were sourced from ESPN. For more fantasy coverage, check out our fantasy football hub.

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Fantasy Football: 10 running backs to target on the waiver wire

Tyler Goodson and Ray Davis highlight this week’s list of running backs to target on the fantasy football waiver wire.

Several key injuries (and players returning from injuries) are shaking up the NFL — and fantasy football lineups — going into Week 8.

At quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa (27%) is expected to return after recovering from his concussion. In Cleveland, the Browns are expected to turn the offense over to Jameis Winston (1%) after losing Deshuan Watson to an Achilles injury. Drake Maye (14%) is also worth a look at QB.

At wide receiver, Jauan Jennings (46%) will be a popular target this week after the 49ers lost Brandon Aiyuk to a torn ACL. Elsewhere at the position, Romeo Doubs (37%) has turned heads with consecutive big games.

At tight end, Hunter Henry (28%) and Taysom Hill (21%) will be among the top targets to consider on the waiver wire ahead of Week 8.

Today, though, we’re focusing on the running back position. We’ve put together a quick list of ten running backs to consider on the fantasy football waiver wire this week.

Fantasy Football Running Back Waiver Wire Targets

1. RB Ray Davis (15%): Even with James Cook back in the lineup, Davis still got five carries and a target, turning those touches into 41 rushing yards and a touchdown and a one-yard reception. He won’t reach the end zone every week, but Davis offers flex value even when Cook is healthy.

2. RB Tyler Goodson (10%): It remains to be seen if Jonathan Taylor (ankle) will be able to return this week. In his absence on Sunday, it was Goodson, not Trey Sermon, who led the Colts’ backfield with 14 carries for 51 yards and a touchdown.

3. RB Alexander Mattison (43%): Mattison dominated the Raiders’ backfield on Sunday with 26 touches that he turned into 123 yards.

4. RB Jaylen Warren (46%): Najee Harris is still the guy in Pittsburgh, but Warren got 12 carries and three targets in Week 7. He’s worth flex consideration in a shared backfield.

5. RB Tyrone Tracy (48%): Even with Devin Singletary back in the lineup, Tracy remained a key part of New York’s offense. Game flow didn’t allow for much rushing from the Giants, but Tracy got one more carry (six to five) and two more targets (three to one) than Singletary on Sunday.

6. RB Sean Tucker (11%): Rachaad White is back and Bucky Irving remains the RB1b, but there’s still a role for Tucker in the backfield. He got five carries and two targets on Monday.

7. RB Kendre Miller (8%): The Saints weren’t able to get anything going against Denver’s defense on TNF, but Miller got six carries (compared to Alvin Kamara’s seven) and three targets (compared to Kamara’s seven). Kamara is obviously still the star in New Orleans, but Miller might have some standalone value going forward.

8. RB D’Ernest Johnson (15%): Tank Bigsby (69%) is dominating right now, but there’s still a role for Johnson. He got nine carries and four targets this week.

9. RB Trey Benson (18%): Benson is a claim-and-stash option in case James Conner is ever unavailable this season.

10. RB Blake Corum (18%): Similar to Benson, Corum is a valuable handcuff behind Kyren Williams.

Bonus RBs: Nick Chubb (83%), Tank Bigsby (69%), Jonathon Brooks (60%), Bucky Irving (66%) and Tyler Allgeier (54%) are already rostered in most leagues, but double check just to make sure they’re not still available in your league. 

Roster percentages for players listed in this article were sourced from ESPN. For more fantasy coverage, check out our fantasy football hub.

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Steelers vs Raiders: Pittsburgh RB gets an injury upgrade

Pittsburgh gets some good news on offense.

According to Pittsburgh Steelers beat writer Ray Fittipaldo, running back Jaylen Warren is good to go for this week’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders. After Friday’s practice, the Steelers gave Warren an injury designation of questionable for the game but on Saturday he gone an upgrade and heads into the game with no injury designation.

This is great news for a struggling Steelers run game. Pittsburgh will be without Cordarrelle Patterson this week but Warren back in the fold will take some pressure off of Najee Harris.

Through five games, the Steelers are No. 13 in the NFL in rushing yards. Harris leads the team with only 270 yards and quarterback Justin Fields is second on the team with 173 rushing yards.

The Raiders have the No. 22 ranked defense in the NFL in stopping the run. Warren with fresh legs could give Pittsburgh the explosion the run game lacks with Harris getting the bulk of the carries.

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Steelers injury updates: Russell Wilson with full workout, Jaylen Warren remains limited

Here is the Steelers Thursday practice report.

There wasn’t much change for the Pittsburgh Steelers in their Thursday practice ahead of the team taking on the Las Vegas Raiders. The biggest change was the limited return of edge rusher Alex Highsmith, who is working his way back from a groin injury.

The Steelers gave multiple veteran starters another day of rest which is great for them but for a struggling team, doesn’t seem prudent. Nevertheless, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, running back Najee Harris, and defensive tackle Cam Heyward all took the day off.

Here is the full Thursday practice report.

No. 3 QB Russell Wilson (Calf) – Full
No. 22 RB Najee Harris (NIR – Resting) – Full
No. 23 S Damontae Kazee (Ankle) – DNP
No. 30 RB Jaylen Warren (Knee) – Limited
No. 39 S Minkah Fitzpatrick (NIR – Resting) – Full
No. 51 LB Nick Herbig (Hamstring) – DNP
No. 56 LB Alex Highsmith (Groin) – Limited
No. 73 G Isaac Seumalo (NIR – Resting) – Full
No. 81 TE MyCole Pruitt (Knee) – Limited
No. 84 RB/KR Cordarrelle Patterson (Ankle) – DNP
No. 88 TE Pat Freiermuth (Calf) – Limited
No. 90 T.J. Watt (NIR – Resting) – Full
No. 97 DT Cameron Heyward (NIR – Resting) – DNP
No. 98 DE DeMarvin Leal (Neck) – DNP
No. 99 DT Larry Ogunjobi (NIR – Resting) – Limited

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Steelers vs Raiders injury updates: Multiple players miss Wednesday practice

The Steelers had a mix of players on the Wednesday practice report.

On Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers got a full workout in and got their first look at the roster heading into this week’s game with the Las Vegas Raiders. 10 players sat out on Wednesday but not everything was bad news.

Quarterback Russell Wilson went through a full workout which only muddies the waters more about who head coach Mike Tomlin will start this week against the Raiders. Running back Jaylen Warren was also on the field for a limited workout, opening the door for a potential return this week.

No. 3 QB Russell Wilson (Calf) – Full
No. 22 RB Najee Harris (NIR – Resting) – DNP
No. 23 S Damontae Kazee (Ankle) – DNP
No. 30 RB Jaylen Warren (Knee) – Limited
No. 39 S Minkah Fitzpatrick (NIR – Resting) – Limited
No. 51 LB Nick Herbig (Hamstring) – DNP
No. 56 LB Alex Highsmith (Groin) – DNP
No. 73 G Isaac Seumalo (NIR – Resting) – DNP
No. 81 TE MyCole Pruitt (Knee) – Limited
No. 84 RB/KR Cordarrelle Patterson (Ankle) – DNP
No. 90 T.J. Watt (NIR – Resting) – DNP
No. 97 DT Cameron Heyward (NIR – Resting) – DNP
No. 98 DE DeMarvin Leal (Neck) – DNP
No. 99 DT Larry Ogunjobi (NIR – Resting) – DNP

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Steelers injury updates: Jaylen Warren pulled by Tomlin

Several Steelers suffered injuries in Sunday’s win over the Chargers.

After the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, head coach Mike Tomlin talked about the myriad of injuries Pittsburgh suffered over the course of the game.

The Steelers lost outside linebacker Alex Highsmith with a groin injury but his replacement Nick Herbig came in and got two sacks. Cornerback Cory Trice Jr. was lost with a hamstring injury and the unit rallied along with the Steelers pass rush to take the heat off the secondary.

Tomlin also noted that wide receiver Van Jefferson got poked in the eye but his vision cleared and he was able to return to the game. Jefferson had no targets or catches on Sunday.

In addition, Tomlin noted that running back Jaylen Warren got benched by Tomlin because of an ongoing injury issue. Warren was replaced by veteran Cordarrelle Patterson who played well down the stretch.

Next week the Steelers take on the Indianapolis Colts on the road.

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Steelers matchups to watch: Week 3 – Najee Harris/Jaylen Warren vs. Chargers’ linebackers

Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren take on a triage of run-stopping linebackers in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Two of the nine undefeated teams in the NFL meet in Week 3, as the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Los Angeles Chargers. The Steelers’ running backs, Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, take on the Chargers’ run-stopping linebackers for an elite matchup to watch.  

Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren ran the ball at a measly 3.5 yards a touch in Week 1.  Harris would improve to 4.1 yards a carry, while Warren would increase proficiency to 4.7 yards a carry, in Week 2.  As the offense continues to forge its identity, it is promising to see the running backs improving on every touch. 

The Los Angeles Chargers’ linebackers are destroying the run this year, and it all starts with their second-year linebacker seeking his breakout season this year, Daiyan Henley.  Henley has been good against the pass and is excelling in run stoppage, veteran Denzel Perryman is reliable against the pass, and the next linebacker up, Junior Colson, is more suited for run-stopping. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers running backs will look to win the battle with the Los Angeles Chargers’ linebackers, in a game that will push one of these AFC teams to 3-0, all taking place on September 22nd, at 1:00 PM EST. 

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Steelers matchups to watch: Week 2 (DEN) – Najee Harris/Jaylen Warren vs. Broncos’ linebackers

Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren take on a strong group of pass-coverage linebackers.

Sunday is almost here, and that can mean only one thing: rough and tough, physical Pittsburgh Steelers football. Nothing embodies that better than the Steelers’ running backs, Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. The matchup between this dynamic duo and the reliable set of Denver Broncos linebackers, led by Alex Singleton, will keep fans on the edge of their seats.

The Broncos’ linebacker group—Alex Singleton, Cody Barton, and Kristian Welch—is a dependable unit that excels more in pass coverage than against the run. Further proving their pass coverage abilities, Singleton also recorded an interception against the Seattle Seahawks. This may counter check-downs, screens, or routes run by the ever-dynamic Warren, but it plays directly into the Steelers’ strategy of running the football with Najee Harris.

Week 1 in Atlanta was a masterclass in rushing, but Harris and Warren weren’t exactly efficient with their attempts. Both averaged under 4 yards per carry, but that’s to be expected with new faces on the offensive line and the injury to left guard Isaac Seumalo. Harris will look to improve his efficiency in a big way against a Broncos linebackers unit that is better prepared for the pass than the run.

With Sunday’s game just a few sleeps away, some would argue that the success or failure of the Steelers’ running game hinges entirely on this matchup. Watch it for yourself on September 15th, at 4:25 pm EST.

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Steelers HC Mike Tomlin calls Jaylen Warren’s injury ‘a slippery slope’

Pittsburgh Steelers Mike Tomlin says that running back Jaylen Warren is healthy enough as he recovers from a preseason hamstring injury.

No football player is fully healthy at the end of an 18-week season, and the same goes on a week-to-week basis. Bumps and bruises associated with play, as Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin loves to call it.

So when asked about the health of his running back Jaylen Warren in a press conference on Tuesday, Tomlin was frank: “That’s a slippery slope in the football world. He’s healthy enough, certainly.”

Aside from a first down in the first quarter, Warren was a virtual non-factor in the Steelers Week 1 win, finishing with 20 all-purpose yards on 13 snaps. Cordarrelle Patterson had four rushing attempts, while Warren had just two for seven yards.

Warren has been battling a hamstring injury since game two of the preseason, and there was doubt that he would even play in Week 1. It’s a good sign that he did, but the season is a marathon. As long as Najee Harris is producing, there’s no need to rush Warren into a more significant workload.

According to Pittsburgh Post Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo, Warren had a grade 2 hamstring strain during his rookie season and only missed one game. On August 24, he told Steelers media he felt good about the injury and where he was in rehab.

Hopefully, Warren will keep progressing with the season — it’s a long road ahead.

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