When it comes to rookies and fantasy football, the top running back taken in the NFL draft used to be a pretty safe bet to play well in their first seasons. But the tide started to turn in 2024, when second-round pick Jonathon Brooks came back midseason from a knee injury only to end the season early with a knee injury.
Last season, No. 6 overall pick Ashton Jeanty was fine for the Las Vegas Raiders, but did not come close to matching the expectations for fantasy football managers who drafted him in the first or second round.
In 2026, there's now a very challenging decision to make regarding the top rookie RB, Jeremiyah Love, who was taken by the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 3 overall pick. It's not an issue of talent, as the 21-year-old combined for more than 1,600 rushing and receiving yards and 21 touchdowns last season for Notre Dame. The issue is that Love might be dealing with a nagging ankle injury all season while playing for an Arizona team that doesn't really seem to know what it's doing on both the micro and macro levels.
Here's what to know about the Cardinals rookie when it comes to fantasy football:
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Should you draft Jeremiyah Love in fantasy?
This question was a lot easier to answer before Arizona decided that its No. 3 overall pick needed 14 touches in the first preseason game. Love looked great with the workload, but is also now dealing with a high ankle sprain that will likely keep him out for the rest of the preseason. That's not a fun injury, especially for a running back, and could be something that Love deals with all season.
Plus, we should consider that the Cardinals have two other veterans at the position in James Connor and Tyler Allgeier paired with a below-average offensive line. Even if Love was healthy, the environment doesn't look that great.
So the short answer on whether you should draft Love this year is that it depends heavily on your leaguemates. Taking an injured rookie on a bad team who will likely be splitting time looks a lot better in the fourth or fifth rounds than the second, where many outlets had him going prior to the ankle injury.
If you play with people who aren't as attuned to injury updates or have rookie fever, you should plan to pass on Love. If, for some reason, you are determined to have a Cardinals running back, Allgeier in the 10th or 11th rounds is probably the better choice.
But if Love falls and you love to draft for upside, he was the No. 3 overall pick for a reason. He was electric at Notre Dame and has future overall RB1 upside. Arizona also ends the season playing the Jets, Saints and Raiders, which doesn't hurt.
Don't take Love early, but also don't let him fall, especially if he's your third RB.
Fantasy football running back rankings
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Should you draft Jeremiyah Love in fantasy? Injury update, outlook for rookie RB