The Pittsburgh Steelers have thrown us a Jaylen Warren curveball with just hours to go before the Week 15 game against the Miami Dolphins.
The Steelers announced on Monday morning that Warren has been added to the injury report with an illness and he is now questionable to play.
"Running back Jaylen Warren is now listed as questionable for tonight's game due to an illness," the Steelers said.
While it's rare for a player to miss a game due to being sick, there is increased risk of that happening in this instance with Warren coming down with his illness either the day before or the day of kickoff.
We will be staying glued to reports the rest of the day to get any indication about Warren's status. The latest we'll find out about whether or not he will play will be coming down at around 6:45 p.m. ET, when inactives are released.
Kenneth Gainwell fantasy advice
If you have Warren, you should already have Gainwell as his handcuff. If you own Warren and don't have Gainwell, go get him right now.
Despite serving as Pittsburgh's RB2 this season, Gainwell ranks as RB24 overall this season, which makes him a viable flex option on a weekly basis.
Now, Gainwell could take the reins of the backfield entirely on Monday night if Warren is ultimately ruled out. There is also a chance that Gainwell will get more work if the Steelers limit Warren's snaps should he not feel 100%.
We've seen Gainwell in a lead role with the Steelers once this season when he filled in for an injured Warren in Week 4. Gainwell posted 134 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on the ground in that contest, ranking as RB3 overall that week.
Gainwell will also have a decent matchup in Week 15, facing a Dolphins defense ceding the 15th-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs.
Gainwell is a locked-in starting option in fantasy if Warren is ruled out, and we wouldn't be opposed to starting him even if Warren plays given the possibility Warren takes on less work because of his illness.
More NFL News
- Can Cowboys still make the playoffs after Week 15 loss to Vikings?
- Davante Adams injury update from Rams leaves Week 16 status in doubt
- Packers' Micah Parsons feared to have season-ending injury
- Patrick Mahomes' injury diagnosis is worst-case scenario for Chiefs
- Patrick Mahomes makes first public comment since knee injury