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Fantasy Sports

Jadarian Price Leads Fantasy Football's Top Five Rookie Running Backs for 2026

These rookie running backs could be primed for a fantasy football explosion if the opportunity presents itself.
Daniel Outerbridge|
Seattle Seahawks running back Jadarian Price (8) will get every opportunity to become an early candidate to replace Kenneth Walker III as RB1 in Seattle. Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Seattle Seahawks running back Jadarian Price (8) will get every opportunity to become an early candidate to replace Kenneth Walker III as RB1 in Seattle. Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Seattle SeahawksArizona CardinalsLas Vegas Raiders

Jeremiyah Love (Arizona Cardinals): Immediate Draft Capital and League-Winning Upside

Taking a running back with the third overall selection in the NFL Draft dictates immediate, focal-point usage. Love brings elite 4.36 speed at 212 pounds to a Cardinals' offense in desperate need of explosive playmakers. While James Conner and Tyler Allgeier are expected to handle some interior and goal-line work, Love's elite profile makes him the clear headline and primary offensive weapon.

Love possesses true three-down workhorse potential and can stay on the field in every situation, making Arizona's offense unpredictable. Although Allgeier and Conner may steal short-yardage snaps early, limiting Love's weekly touchdown ceiling at the start of the season, his talent profile suggests he will pull away with the lion's share of the touches as the season progresses, peaking right in time for the fantasy playoffs.

Fantasy managers should target Love as an upside RB2 in Rounds 5-6. His lower early-season floor will give way to top-ten overall RB production once he secures 15+ touches per week.

Nicholas Singleton (Tennessee Titans): Elite Speed Meets Cheap Long-Term Dynasty Value

While Singleton isn't a top-tier fantasy asset immediately, several key traits give him significant upside if opportunity knocks. Worth drafting in the mid-to-late third round, Singleton offers cheap, long-term potential in the backfield where primary starters have expiring contracts after 2026. At 219 pounds, the former Penn State running back possesses game-breaking speed (a sub-4.40 40-yard dash) and can alter defensive game plans with his big-play ability.

The Titans already feature Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears as elusive, perimeter-oriented backs, but Singleton gives Tennessee a physical, downhill runner who could earn goal-line carries early in his rookie year. With both Pollard and Spears set to hit free agency after the season, strong play in limited action or a window opened by injury could position Singleton as the Titans' primary back for 2027 and beyond.

Singleton should be considered as a late-round handcuff/stash candidate. He has a capped weekly floor to open the year, but carries league-winning contingent value if Pollard or Spears misses time.

Jonah Coleman (Denver Broncos): Low-Risk, High-Upside Committee Flyer

Coleman boasts a compact build with outstanding balance, consistently creating yards after contact. Drafted in the fourth round out of the University of Washington, he enters the season as a low-risk, high-upside flyer. At 5'8" and 220 pounds, Coleman fits the ideal Sean Payton running back archetype with his physical, low-center-of-gravity, bowling-ball style.

Payton has a history of featuring heavy, tackle-breaking backs like Mark Ingram and Javonte Williams in multi-back systems. Coleman is also a natural receiver who thrives in modern spread offenses, offering offensive coordinators versatility as both a runner and a pass-catcher. Built for interior grinding between the tackles, even in a split backfield alongside J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey, Coleman has a clear path to locking down Denver's high-value short-yardage and goal-line work from day one.

As a high-value late-round sleeper and with Dobbins' injury history, Coleman could quickly leap into a fantasy-relevant flex role. His tackle-breaking metrics give him an elite floor relative to his cost.

Jadarian Price (Seattle Seahawks): Home-Run Explosiveness Primed to Lead Seattle's Rushing Attack

Slightly overshadowed in the same backfield by Jeremiyah Love at Notre Dame, Price was the only other running back selected in the first round. He isn't your average rookie running back, as he can earn an immediate opportunity to become the centerpiece of Seattle's rushing attack. Price has a legitimate chance to finish as the highest-scoring rookie running back if he secures 15-20 touches per game early on, as defenses must account for his home-run ability from anywhere on the field.

The Seahawks' backfield underwent a major offseason overhaul, with Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III departing via free agency and Zach Charbonnet recovering from an ACL tear. NFL teams rarely draft running backs in Round 1 unless they plan to use them heavily, and Seattle's premium draft investment guarantees Price every chance to serve as the focal point of the offense.

Mike Washington Jr. (Las Vegas Raiders): Fourth-Round Steal with Chip-On-Shoulder Breakout Potential

Washington Jr.'s fantasy value will come down to how quickly he can earn touches. His physical tools make him an intriguing upside pick. If he can carve out a significant role, particularly near the goal line, he has the talent to outperform his draft position and become one of the biggest rookie running back steals in fantasy football.

Washington Jr.'s role as Ashton Jeanty's backup is defined as a high-upside, change-of-pace RB2, designed to lessen Jeanty's workload and give the Raiders a dynamic 1-2 punch in head coach Klint Kubiak's offense. Jeanty remains the lead back and focal point of the Las Vegas offense, but the pairing gives the Raiders a "thunder and lightning" dynamic. While Jeanty wears down defenses through interior contact and missed tackles, Washington Jr.'s top-end speed punishes tired defensive fronts when he rotates into the backfield.

Washington Jr. also expressed his frustration about falling to the fourth round in the draft.

I got a lot to prove, because I was picked in the 4th round, projected to go way higher. It's time to prove everybody who passed on me wrong. I know every running back that was picked before me. I'm going to make this league pay.
Mike Washington Jr.

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Daniel Outerbridge
DANIEL OUTERBRIDGE

Daniel Outerbridge covers the NBA, NFL, WNBA, and MLB with an emphasis on the numbers behind the game. His work breaks down player performance, team strategy, and emerging statistical trends to provide actionable insights for fans and fantasy players. Outerbridge has written for a myriad of other outlets including Anubis Sports and FanSided.

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