The Pittsburgh Steelers made a late-round gamble in the NFL Draft, selecting Eli Heidenreich in the seventh round. While his name might not ring bells now, fantasy managers should keep an ear out for 2026. Let's break down his realistic outlook and what his arrival means for the Steelers' backfield.

Heidenreich enters the league with a classic label: "more valuable on the field than in fantasy." That's expected for a seventh-rounder, but his college stats tell a unique story. Over three seasons at Navy, he logged just 169 carries. His real value came through the air, where he amassed 1,994 receiving yards on 109 catches—nearly double his rushing total. With 4.44 speed, he's a threat in space. If the stars align, he could become a deep-league streaming option.

But the path is crowded. Jaylen Warren is locked in as the 1A, at least for now. The addition of Rico Dowdle adds depth to a backfield that lost breakout star Kenneth Gainwell. Meanwhile, Kaleb Johnson, after an invisible rookie campaign, isn't out of the picture. Like Heidenreich, he'll need to overperform for a shot at late-game mop-up duty.

Heidenreich's biggest hurdle might be translation. Navy's schedule lacked NFL-caliber defenses—he had just three touches against Notre Dame, their only top-25 opponent in 2025. That leaves plenty of unknowns. For fantasy managers, he's a high-risk, high-reward flier: appealing if you've got nothing to lose, but a potential wasted pick if you're chasing a title. Keep him on your watchlist, but don't bet the farm.