The running back position is so back, baby. Just one year after Ashton Jeanty went sixth overall to the Raiders, Jeremiyah Love went third overall to the Cardinals. Love is the clear-cut top rookie pick in non-superflex drafts, but what about his season-long outlook? Let’s dive right in to Jeremiyah Love's fantasy football value with the Cardinals.

Jeremiyah Love Fantasy Football Value With The Cardinals

Of all the potential landing spots for Love, the Cardinals are probably one of the better ones. Their depth chart isn’t exactly barren at running back, but the Cardinals' offense at least put some points on the scoreboard last year. They were a top-12 unit in both points and yards per game, so Love should step into a decent offense. For comparison, the Raiders were a bottom-six unit in both yards and points in 2024-25, so it’s a much better landing spot than Ashton Jeanty had as a rookie.

Love will also get to operate behind a decent offensive line. Arizona was 15th in ESPN’s Run Block Win Rate last season, and they added Isaac Seumalo this offseason.

We’ve seen James Conner have success in Arizona previously, and Love should step in as the team’s bell-cow back from Day 1. He will have to contend with the newly acquired Tyler Allgeier for touches, but the bottom line is that the Cardinals didn’t draft Love in the top three to keep him on the sidelines. As long as the offense can keep the chains moving, volume shouldn’t be an issue.

Should You Plan to Draft Jeremiyah Love this year?

The days of being able to get a top rookie RB at a discount are over. We saw that with Jeanty last year, who routinely came off the board in the first round of fantasy drafts.

Love isn’t quite as expensive as Jeanty was last year. He’s currently coming off the board at pick No. 17 on average in Underdog drafts, good for an RB11 price tag. That’s in line with what our rankers see, with our experts putting him at RB11 near the top of the third tier. Matthew Freedman, as of now, is knocking Love from RB8 to RB10 in his fantasy football rankings.

However, rookies tend to see their price tags rise as the draft season progresses, and it wouldn’t be a shocker if Love is a first-rounder when all is said and done. There is too much downside for me if that happens. Just like Jeanty last year, Love should see plenty of volume, but there’s no guarantee that results in a ton of fantasy points.

2026 Scouting Report For Jeremiyah Love

Love entered the draft process as the unquestioned top RB in the class. However, his production metrics aren’t quite as dominant as you might expect. He earned just a 75 Production Rating in Dwain McFarland’s Rookie Super Model, which is the lowest mark among RBs drafted in the top 12 since 2017. Bijan Robinson and Leonard Fournette were previously tied for the lowest mark at 83.

However, that stems primarily from Love’s lack of usage as a freshman; he had to contend with an NFL-caliber back during his first year at Notre Dame, with Audric Estime handling the majority of the opportunities.

When Love did get his chance in Year 2, he erupted. He tallied 1,362 scrimmage yards with 19 scores as a sophomore, and he followed that up with 1,652 yards and 21 scores in his final year.

He’s a true three-down back, combining excellent size, speed, rushing prowess, and receiving ability out of the backfield. He earned a 91 Film Grade in the Rookie Super Model, which ranks in the top eight all-time. Ultimately, the positives far outweigh the negatives, especially since the Cardinals were willing to invest a top-five pick in him.

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