Fantasy Football Injury Update: Rico Dowdle Questionable, Potentially Increasing Jaylen Warren’s Workload

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in Paris to face the New Orleans Saints in Week 7 on Sunday morning, and they could do so without one of their RBs. After popping up on the injury report with a knee injury earlier this week, the Steelers are listing Rico Dowdle as questionable to play against the Saints.

If Dowdle is limited or inactive for the Steelers in Week 7, Jaylen Warren could be in store for an expanded role once again.

How does Dowdle’s injury update affect the Steelers’ backfield from a fantasy football perspective?

All stats used in this article are from PFF or Sumer Sports unless stated otherwise. Fantasy rankings and fantasy point totals are courtesy of FantasyPros.

Fantasy Impact

Rico Dowdle, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

This is the second injury Dowdle has dealt with in his first year with the Steelers, as he has already missed three games with a toe injury. After suffering the toe injury in Week 2, Dowdle returned to the field in Week 6, producing a season-high 7.9 fantasy points in the win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Dowdle seemingly sustained his current knee injury against the Bucs, considering that the Steelers didn’t have him on the injury report before last week’s game. Ahead of Pittsburgh’s international clash with the Saints, Dowdle has been limited in practice all week.

Even if Dowdle suits up and is active on Sunday, he’s yet to prove that he’s worth starting in fantasy football, with Warren being the more efficient back in Pittsburgh’s backfield.

Jaylen Warren, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Fantasy football managers with Warren on their roster are keeping a close eye on Dowdle’s status, as Warren was a bona fide RB1 in Dowdle’s absence earlier this season. From Week 3 to Week 5, sans Dowdle, Warren was the RB5 in fantasy points per game (24.3).

The advanced metrics also support anyone’s case that Warren has been one of the best RBs in football this year. Among 34 RBs with 50-plus attempts so far, Warren has the third-most yards per attempt (5.5), fourth-most yards after contact per attempt (3.80), and eighth-most missed tackles forced (21).

In a scenario where Dowdle is sidelined in Week 7, Warren becomes one of the best RBs on the board against a New Orleans defense that is 32nd in rushing EPA (-0.00) and rushing success rate allowed (48.1%). The Saints are also coughing up the most schedule-adjusted fantasy points per game to RBs (+6.6).