Jaylen Warren (ankle) is cleared to play in Week 12 at Chicago, but I still like Gainwell as a flex. He should continue to have a solid role in tandem with Warren, and Gainwell has at least four catches in two of his past three games. The Steelers might also use caution with Warren and limit his playing time after he left Week 11 against Cincinnati. It also helps that the Bears have allowed two running back tandems to score at least 10.5 PPR points this season (Detroit in Week 2 and Minnesota in Week 11). And Chicago will be without three linebackers in Tremaine Edmunds (groin), T.J. Edwards (hand), and Noah Sewell (elbow).
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Jaylen Warren (ankle) could play in Week 12 at Chicago, but if he's out, then Gainwell would be a must-start Fantasy running back in the majority of leagues. Warren missed Week 4 against Minnesota, and Gainwell scored 31.4 PPR points with 25 total touches for 134 total yards and two touchdowns. And after Warren left Week 11 against Cincinnati, Gainwell finished with 29.5 PPR points with 16 total touches for 105 total yards and two touchdowns. Even if Warren plays, you can use Gainwell as a flex in PPR since he has at least four catches in two of his past three games. But Gainwell could be a star if Warren is unable to play against the Bears.
Gainwell's situation is even dicier than Emanuel Wilson's. Head Coach Mike Tomlin is optimistic that Jaylen Warren could play this week, but doesn't expect Warren to do much early in the week. That means you probably won't know when you make your waiver claim. The last game Warren missed, Gainwell had 25 touches for 134 yards and two touchdowns. That means you have to at least put in a claim, but with Warren potentially back, you may not want to bid much.
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell: Week 12 Waiver Priority List
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Jaylen Warren (ankle) left Week 11 against Cincinnati, and we don't know his status for Week 12 at Chicago, although Mike Tomlin said Tuesday he's "optimistic" that Warren will play against the Bears. If Warren is out then Kenneth Gainwell would be a must-start running back in all leagues, and he's worth adding for 10-15 percent of your remaining FAB. Warren also said after the Bengals game that he could have returned, but there's no guarantee he'll be fine as the week goes on. Against Cincinnati, Gainwell had nine carries for 24 yards and seven catches for 81 yards and two touchdowns on eight targets. This is now his fourth game this season with at least 10 total touches, and he scored at least 29.5 PPR points in two of them. Gainwell could be a great Fantasy asset if Warren is out.
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell: Two receiving TDs as Warren injured
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Gainwell rushed nine times for 24 yards while catching seven of eight targets for 81 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 34-12 win over the Bengals.
Gainwell capped the opening drive with an 11-yard receiving touchdown. Jaylen Warren played only one snap after hurting his ankle in the third quarter, opening the door for Gainwell to play a larger role. Gainwell didn't find much running room but continued to make significant contributions as a pass catcher out of the backfield, including by notching a five-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter on a pass from Mason Rudolph, who replaced Aaron Rodgers (left wrist) at halftime. If Warren is unavailable or limited in Week 12, Gainwell could take on a hefty workload against the Bears.
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell: Two receptions in defeat
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Gainwell secured two of three targets for four yards during Sunday's 25-10 loss to the Chargers.
Gainwell led the Steelers' running backs by playing 52 percent of the team's offensive snaps during Sunday's blowout loss, but he saw minimal touches against the Chargers. The primetime matchup marked the first time that Gainwell was held without any carries this season, and he failed to generate much production as a pass catcher. While the Steelers offense generally struggled as a whole Week 10, Gainwell's fantasy upside remains limited for the second half of the regular season.
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell: Involved as pass catcher
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Gainwell rushed three times for minus-1 yard while securing four of five targets for 35 yards during Sunday's 27-20 win over the Colts.
Gainwell had logged double-digit rushing yards in each of his first seven appearances this year, and while he didn't have much success on the ground Week 9, he matched his season-best mark in receiving yards in the victory. He also was on the field for 37 percent of the Steelers' offensive snaps, signaling that he remains the team's clear No. 2 back behind Jaylen Warren and ahead of Kaleb Johnson. Gainwell hasn't showcased much fantasy upside as the No. 2 option in the backfield over the first half of the year, but he's at least seen consistent playing time.
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell: Seven touches in loss
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Gainwell rushed five times for 31 yards while securing both of his targets for four yards during Sunday's 35-25 loss to Green Bay.
Gainwell was the lone backup running back to take the field for the Steelers, as Kaleb Johnson didn't see any playing time in the primetime loss. Gainwell played 38 percent of the team's offensive snaps and was relatively efficient on the ground, but he didn't have enough volume to provide much fantasy value. While Gainwell has consistently outpaced Johnson's snap count over the first half of the season, Jaylen Warren has operated as the Steelers' clear lead back, making Gainwell an unreliable fantasy option.
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell: Five touches from scrimmage in loss
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Gainwell rushed three times for 14 yards, brought in both targets for one yard and returned three kickoffs for 88 yards in the Steelers' 33-31 loss to the Bengals on Thursday night.
Gainwell was back to a strict complementary role in Thursday night's game, as Jaylen Warren put together his best performance of the season with a 127-yard tally on the ground. Gainwell's carry and rushing yardage totals were both season lows, but the veteran back was able to make some solid contributions in his capacity as a returner. Gainwell should remain in a similar role when the Packers come to Pittsburgh for a Sunday night Week 8 showdown on Oct. 26.
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell: Gets involved as pass catcher
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Gainwell rushed the ball six times for 22 yards in Sunday's 23-9 win over the Browns. He added six receptions on six targets for 14 yards.
Jaylen Warren served as Pittsburgh's lead back in a traditional sense, out-carrying Gainwell 11-6. However, Gainwell was more involved as a pass catcher, leading to a near-even split in total touches. Gainwell didn't make much of a case to further overtake Warren with an inefficient performance, but he appears to have a clear role in the Pittsburgh backfield for the time being.
We expect Jaylen Warren to get his job back when he's healthy. But until that happens, Gainwell needs to be rostered. He had a role before Warren went down and could be a bye-week replacement as the 1B in Pittsburgh against the right matchup. This week against the Browns is probably not that matchup, unless Warren is out again.
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell: Week 6 Waiver Priority List
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We don't know if Jaylen Warren (knee) will return in Week 6 against Cleveland after Pittsburgh's bye week. And, if Warren is able to play, we don't know how the Steelers will use both running backs after Gainwell was awesome in place of an injured Warren in Week 4 against Minnesota in Ireland. In that game, Gainwell had 19 carries for 99 yards and two touchdowns and six catches for 35 yards on six targets. I'm going to lean toward Warren getting his starting job back, but Gainwell probably deserves more work moving forward. And if Warren is out again then Gainwell is a must-start running back in all leagues. He's worth adding for at least 10 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell: Week 5 Waiver Priority List
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The Steelers have a bye in Week 5, and we don't know how long Jaylen Warren (knee) will be out after he missed Week 4 against Minnesota in Ireland. If Warren returns to action in Week 6 then he should be the No. 1 running back in Pittsburgh. But if Warren is out again then you see how good Gainwell could be in a featured role after he dominated the Vikings with 19 carries for 99 yards and two touchdowns and six catches for 35 yards on six targets. He should have more of a role in tandem with Warren moving forward when both are healthy, and Gainwell should be added in all leagues for at least 15 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell: Fills in admirably as lead back
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Gainwell rushed the ball 19 times for 99 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 24-21 win over the Vikings. He added six receptions on six targets for 35 yards.
Jaylen Warren (knee) was surprisingly inactive Sunday morning, leaving Gainwell to fill in as Pittsburgh's lead back. He did so admirably, scoring touchdowns from one and four yards away while also ripping off long gains of 15 and 10 yards. Gainwell also remained active as a pass catcher, giving him a well-rounded fantasy line. The Steelers are headed into their bye week, meaning this may be Gainwell's only chance to handle this type of workload for the time being, but he proved plenty capable of handling the lead-back role if needed.
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell: Appears headed for start Sunday
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Gainwell is likely to serve as the Steelers' starting running back during Sunday's game against the Vikings in Dublin, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
Though lead back Jaylen Warren (knee) was listed as questionable heading into Sunday, he had generally been expected to play until the Steelers made him inactive after he didn't respond as well to pregame warmups as the team had hoped. Warren should be ready to play following the Steelers' Week 5 bye, but his absence for the Ireland game clears the way for Gainwell to step into a more pronounced role. Gainwell served as the Steelers' clear No. 2 running back through the first three weeks of the season and has accrued a 16-55-1 rushing line and 7-30-0 receiving line on 10 targets, though he had seen his snap share trend down in each successive game. Expect Gainwell's playing time to dramatically increase out of necessity Sunday, though he could operate as the lead option of a committee rather than a true three-down back. The Steelers have made both Kaleb Johnson and Trey Sermon active for Week 4, and both could see some involvement on early downs in order to keep Gainwell fresh on passing downs.
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell: Punches in short TD in win
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Gainwell carried the ball four times for 16 yards and a touchdown and caught his only target for 10 yards in Sunday's 21-14 win over the Patriots.
The former Eagle scored his first TD as a Steeler in the first quarter, punching in a one-yard score for the game's first points. Gainwell has worked as a short-yardage complement to Jaylen Warren through three weeks, a role that has led him to 85 scrimmage yards on 23 touches, and he'll likely need to find the end zone again to have much fantasy value in Week 4 against the Vikings.
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell: Tallies 36 yards
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Gainwell rushed the ball five times for 20 yards in Sunday's 31-17 loss to the Seahawks. He added three receptions on five targets for 16 yards.
Gainwell was out-touched 18-8 by Jaylen Warren, settling into a change-of-pace role in the Pittsburgh offense. Gainwell's most notable carry came late in the third quarter when he spelled Jaylen Warren near the goal line, but he was stuffed at the four-yard line. Gainwell will likely struggle to get enough volume to be fantasy relevant in most formats, particularly if Kaleb Johnson is able to emerge in the offense as the season progresses.
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell: Week 2 Waiver Priority List
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Kaleb Johnson will hopefully start to get more work as the season goes on, but Gainwell and Jaylen Warren appear to be the top running backs for the Steelers right now. Warren is a borderline starter in all leagues, and Gainwell is worth stashing on your bench in deeper formats. In Week 1 at the Jets, Gainwell had seven carries for 19 yards and three catches for 4 yards on four targets. He's worth adding in deeper PPR leagues for 1 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell: Limited production in Week 1
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Gainwell rushed seven times for 19 yards while securing three of four targets for four yards during Sunday's 34-32 win over the Jets.
While rookie Kaleb Johnson drew plenty of buzz during training camp and preseason action as a complementary back alongside Jaylen Warren, Gainwell was on the field for 54 percent of the Steelers' offensive snaps in Sunday's regular-season opener, while Johnson played just two offensive snaps. Gainwell's playing time was encouraging, but he was inefficient with his opportunities. As long as Pittsburgh's backfield remains relatively healthy, it seems unlikely that the 26-year-old will have much fantasy upside in 2025, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Johnson take some of Gainwell's snaps as the season progresses.
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell: Stays in Pennsylvania
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The Steelers agreed to terms with Gainwell on a one-year contract Tuesday, Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reports.
The former Eagle won't have to move far, as he's staying in the state of Pennsylvania. With the Steelers, Gainwell slides into a backfield with a clear opening after Najee Harris left to join the Chargers on Monday. In four seasons with Philly, Gainwell rushed 280 times for 1,185 yards and 12 touchdowns, while adding 102 catches for 721 yards and an additional score in the passing game. He's a quality change-of-pace back, though his skill set feels a bit redundant with Jaylen Warren already on the roster. Gainwell is unlikely to have much fantasy relevance in 2025 barring an injury to Warren, and the Steelers may not be done adding at the position.
