Could Eli Heidenreich Become Pittsburgh’s New Kenneth Gainwell?

The most interesting name on Pittsburgh’s initial 53-man roster might not be a starter.

The Steelers listed rookie Eli Heidenreich as an RB/WR, separate from both their running backs and wide receivers. That is not a normal roster designation, and it becomes especially interesting when you look at what Pittsburgh just lost from its 2025 offense.

Kenneth Gainwell was supposed to be a complementary running back last season. Instead, he became one of the most important players in the offense. Gainwell finished the year with 73 receptions on 85 targets, both team highs, added 486 receiving yards, rushed for 537 yards, produced 1,023 yards from scrimmage and was voted the Steelers’ team MVP.

That does not mean Heidenreich is going to become Gainwell in Year 1. But Pittsburgh’s roster construction gives us a reason to ask whether the Steelers want to preserve some version of that role.

The Gainwell Role Was Bigger Than “RB2”

Fantasy managers can make a mistake if they look at last year’s Steelers backfield and think Gainwell was simply Jaylen Warren’s backup.

He was much more than that.

Warren led the team in rushing and remained the primary back, but Gainwell became a movable receiving piece who could create favorable matchups. His 85 targets were more than every Steelers wide receiver and tight end. He also contributed as a runner and returner.

That versatility mattered because it allowed Pittsburgh to change formations and personnel without necessarily changing who was on the field.

Now Gainwell is gone, while Pittsburgh enters 2026 with Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle as its two traditional running backs. Heidenreich is the third backfield-type player, but the Steelers specifically chose to categorize him as a running back/wide receiver hybrid.

That distinction matters.

Why Heidenreich Fits the Idea

Heidenreich is not a conventional NFL running back prospect.

At Navy, he became the program’s career leader in both receiving yards (1,994) and receiving touchdowns (16). Pittsburgh has spent the summer experimenting with where he fits rather than locking him into one traditional position.

Then came the preseason.

Heidenreich handled 20 rushing attempts across Pittsburgh’s three preseason games, including nine carries for 35 yards and a touchdown in the finale against Buffalo. He did not pile up receiving production in those exhibitions, but the Steelers had already seen years of receiving ability on his college tape.

The key is that Pittsburgh did not need to keep him.

The Steelers cut Travis Homer and Lew Nichols and carried only Warren, Dowdle and Heidenreich as backfield options. For an undrafted rookie to survive that process on a veteran roster, his versatility clearly has value.

Mike McCarthy Has a Reason to Want Versatility

Mike McCarthy has always valued offensive players who can fill multiple jobs.

His offenses have frequently used running backs in the passing game, but the more important point is that Pittsburgh already showed us in 2025 how valuable a multi-purpose back can become when the offense trusts him.

Gainwell’s season created a blueprint.

The question is whether McCarthy wants Heidenreich to inherit the type of role rather than the exact workload.

That distinction is important for fantasy. Warren should enter the season as Pittsburgh’s lead back, while Dowdle gives the Steelers an experienced runner capable of handling meaningful early-down work. Heidenreich does not need to leapfrog either player as a pure runner to become relevant.

If he earns packages as a slot receiver, motion player, screen option, third-down back or change-of-pace runner, he can get on the field without replacing Warren or Dowdle.

Why This Matters More in Full PPR

This is the type of player whose fantasy value could look very different depending on scoring format.

Ten carries for 40 yards is four fantasy points.

Five catches for 40 yards is nine full-PPR points before any rushing work is added.

That is why Gainwell became so useful last season. His receiving workload created fantasy production without requiring 15-plus carries every week.

Heidenreich is nowhere near that projection yet, but his route to relevance is similar. He does not need to become Pittsburgh’s leading rusher. He needs to become a player the Steelers trust enough to manufacture touches for.

If that happens, his receiving background gives him a more interesting ceiling than the typical RB3 on an NFL roster.

The Biggest Difference From Gainwell

We should not force the comparison too far.

Gainwell entered last season with four years of NFL experience and had already proven he could pass protect, catch the football and function in an NFL offense. Heidenreich is an undrafted rookie who has never taken a regular-season snap.

Pittsburgh also added Dowdle, meaning there is more competition for conventional backfield touches than Gainwell faced for parts of last season.

The comparison is about role archetype, not expected production.

Gainwell showed us that Pittsburgh is willing to feature a versatile back as a receiver. Heidenreich has a receiving résumé unusual for someone listed in the running back room. The Steelers then reinforced that idea by officially carrying him as an RB/WR.

That combination is enough to put him on the fantasy radar.

What Fantasy Managers Should Watch

Early in the season, snap alignment will tell us more than box-score rushing totals.

Watch where Heidenreich lines up.

If he is exclusively a third running back who only sees the field after Warren or Dowdle leaves, this is probably just a fun roster story.

If Pittsburgh is putting him in the slot, motioning him out of the backfield, using him on third downs or designing touches for him while Warren is also on the field, the story changes quickly.

Those are the usage signals that would suggest Pittsburgh sees him as more than emergency depth.

My Fantasy Read

Eli Heidenreich is not someone I am drafting in normal 10- or 12-team redraft leagues yet. He is someone I want on my watch list immediately.

Jaylen Warren remains the Steelers back I want most, and Rico Dowdle has the clearer path to conventional rushing volume behind him. But Heidenreich may have a completely different route to fantasy relevance.

Pittsburgh just watched Kenneth Gainwell turn a versatile receiving-back role into 73 catches, 1,023 scrimmage yards and a team MVP award.

Now the Steelers have chosen to keep an undrafted rookie whose official position is literally RB/WR.

That does not guarantee anything.

It does make Heidenreich one of the most interesting deep fantasy stashes to monitor in September.