Fantasy Football Rankings: Is Ashton Jeanty a First-Round Pick in 12-Team PPR Drafts?
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Ashton Jeanty enters his rookie NFL season a true prodigy. He brings some of the best college football film that we have seen in a very long time and it will translate to the NFL. Jeanty posseses big YAC ability, speed, vision, and side-to-side movement. It will be up to the Raiders offensive line to promote his ability, but regardless, Ashton Jeanty is a future NFL star.
Fantasy Football Preview
The first round of NFL fantasy drafts appear quite stuffed with talent. Lined up, we see Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb as well as Saquon Barkley, Bijan Robinson, and Jahmyr Gibbs. However, that contingent only owns half of the first round and so it begs the question — is Ashton Jeanty a first round pick in a 12-Team PPR Draft?
Ashton Jeanty is currently being drafted at 12th overall/RB6 in PPR formats. This makes him a borderline 1st round pick. That places him behind Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry, but actually ahead of De'Veon Achane. Personally, I think that McCaffrey is undraftable at ADP, so I would suggest that Jeanty should be a first round pick. Let's dissect further.
Valuing Ashton Jeanty
Our Fantasy on SI projections currently list Ashton Jeanty as the RB6 in fantasy football. He sits behind McCaffrey, Achane, and Barkley. Jeanty ties for our 3rd highest total of carries with 291 across 17 games. He should see a moderate pass-catching workload, catching 48 balls for 2 touchdowns. Despite a mid-low tier offensive line, we do see 4.6 yards per carry and 11 touchdowns on the ground.
This is all very good work for Jeanty, but he will be limited by his team around him. The Raiders are in a rebuild, and though Ashton Jeanty projects a massive rookie year, his best seasons will still be ahead.
Valuing McCaffrey, Henry, Achane
Jeanty will be in an ADP competition with Christian McCaffrey, Derrick Henry, and De'Von Achane. So, where does he compare?
Christian McCaffrey enters this season a year older. Though he is the cemented top asset in this offense, his risk is as high as anyone. "CMC" had a injury-ridden season back in 2024. He had dealt with achilles tendinitis prior to the season, and this lead to some fantasy mis-direction. While many managers expected McCaffrey to play Week 1, he was listed out just hours before their openers and went on to miss significant time. He eventually would return and on December 1st, suferred a PCL sprain.
My concern lies heavily with injuries. There are multiple types of injuries, but soft tissue injuries tend to be the most recurring. This is because tissue gets replaced with scar tissue post-injury and it is not as strong as your regular tissue, thus, susceptible to re-injury. McCaffrey projects an RB1 workload, and if he is fully healthy, he very would could become the fantasy RB1. I do not see a full-healthy year and thus I will not take on the risk.
Niners fans have speculated as to whether Christian McCaffrey's injury issues are connected to the amount of touches he gets. RB1 says no way.
— KNBR (@KNBR) August 1, 2025
"There's what's talked about and then there's what's true ... and what's true is rarely what's talked about."
[via @JDJohnDickinson &… pic.twitter.com/ponOUCSi0t
Derrick Henry will be in for another massive season. Unlike McCaffrey, Henry does not have as vast a history of soft-tissue injuries. On a gluten-free styled diet, Derrick Henry has been notably durable, similar to the method used by Novak Djokovic. Most running backs hit a wall at, or near age thirty, but Henry has not. I have been projected his regression for years and have continuously been wrong. I am done doubting #22 and so I would be fine drafting him over Jeanty. His lack of pass-catching is made up for in workload and the Ravens high-volume run scheme.
De'Von Achane may have as high a workload as anyone. Achane only ran the ball 203 times in 2024, but that will absolutely increase as Raheem Mostert leaves town. However, De'Veon went for 75 Receptions, 592 Yards and 6 Touchdowns. Mike McDaniel has not been shy in using him, and he has reiterated that this will only increase into 2025. I am also fine drafting Achane over Jeanty, especially with his receiving ability.
Jonnu Smith and De'Von Achane each finished top-15 in designed targets last year (via @FantasyPtsData)
— Ryan Heath (@RyanJ_Heath) June 30, 2025
Achane just might catch 50 screens and finish as the overall RB1 if Tua stays healthy all year. https://t.co/cqcMMZRqXa pic.twitter.com/VS3ck97rq3
Where Do I Value Ashton Jeanty?
Given our analysis, I have Jeanty above two of those three listed RBs. I will definitely have him above everyone else, including Josh Jacobs and Jonathan Taylor. As ranking has him at RB6, Ashton Jeanty is my RB5. It will become apples and oranges between Jeanty and WRs like Malik Nabers, Puka Nacua, Nico Collins, but should you wish to go running back towards the end of the first round, Ashton Jeanty is a first round pick in my books. I value him at anywhere after the 8th overall pick.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.