Ashton Jeanty entered the league with as much fanfare as any rookie running back in recent memory and did not deliver on it. The fantasy community has spent the offseason treating that as a referendum on the player. A closer look at what actually happened tells a very different story. Fantasy managers who bailed after one season may be walking away at exactly the wrong time.
Should I Draft Ashton Jeanty in Fantasy Football?
Rookie fever took over last season. Just about all of them were overpriced, even the ones that panned out. File Jeanty among the ones that did not.
Here is my problem with how the masses now view his rookie year. The prevailing take is that it was a complete disaster, and that is revisionist history. Was it a smooth ride? Absolutely not. But Jeanty’s ADP expectation based on his 1/2 turn price was roughly 16 to 17 PPG. He averaged 14.4. Disappointing? Yes. Disaster? Not quite. He did not burn fantasy managers completely. It was more like a mild char. He still put up 1,321 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on an abysmal Las Vegas Raiders offense.
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Blame the situation, not the player. The Raiders were a mess up front, and a banged-up Brock Bowers gave defenses no reason to respect anything other than the run. Jeanty created on his own anyway. A staggering 83.6% of his rushing yards came after contact, third-best in the league against a back average of 70.1%. That is exactly how you survive when the blocking does not show up.
The back half of the season is the real tell. After a dead-quiet start, Jeanty ripped off three top-five weeks down the stretch, including a 188-yard, two-touchdown afternoon against the Houston Texans.
The usage was never in question either. Jeanty led the league in opportunity share at 84.3% and posted a 14.8% target share, the kind of receiving involvement that props up a floor even in bad game scripts. Over the past four seasons, only three rookie backs have earned five-plus targets in four consecutive games: Jahmyr Gibbs, Bijan Robinson, and Jeanty. That is the exact company you want to be keeping.
If this feels familiar, it should. This is Robinson’s rookie year all over again, a generational talent buried by a broken situation for one season before everything turned.
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The fix is already here. Klint Kubiak is one of the brightest offensive minds in the league, and his roster’s only real weapons are Jeanty and Bowers. Both are going to feast. Kirk Cousins opens the year as a clear upgrade under center, a statue who will happily dump the ball off to his back. Fernando Mendoza offers even more upside when he inevitably takes the job.
Now, we must address the elephant in the room: Jeanty’s mysterious ankle sprain. It’s great that it’s not a season-ender as we initially feared, but the vibes around it don’t feel great. At this point, I don’t think you can take Jeanty at the 1/2 turn anymore. How far should you let him fall? That really depends on a lot of factors, including your league and roster size. Just know, if you do take Jeanty, there is still a chance he misses a third of the season.
Katz’s RB Fantasy Rankings 2026
- Jahmyr Gibbs | DET
- Bijan Robinson | ATL
- Jonathan Taylor | IND
- Christian McCaffrey | SF
- James Cook III | BUF
- Ashton Jeanty | LV
- Chase Brown | CIN
- Saquon Barkley | PHI
- Kenneth Walker III | KC
- Derrick Henry | BAL
- Omarion Hampton | LAC
- Jeremiyah Love | ARI
- De'Von Achane | MIA
- Breece Hall | NYJ
- Kyren Williams | LAR
- Josh Jacobs | GB
- Javonte Williams | DAL
- Travis Etienne Jr. | NO
- D'Andre Swift | CHI
- Cam Skattebo | NYG
- Quinshon Judkins | CLE
- David Montgomery | HOU
- Bhayshul Tuten | JAX
- Jaylen Warren | PIT
- Rhamondre Stevenson | NE
- Jadarian Price | SEA
- Bucky Irving | TB
- Jonathon Brooks | CAR
- TreVeyon Henderson | NE
- Tony Pollard | TEN
- Kenny Gainwell | TB
- Rico Dowdle | PIT
- Blake Corum | LAR
- Chuba Hubbard | CAR
- Rachaad White | WAS
- RJ Harvey | DEN
- Kyle Monangai | CHI
- Jacory Croskey-Merritt | WAS
- Aaron Jones Sr. | MIN
- Jordan Mason | MIN
- Chris Rodriguez Jr. | JAX
- J.K. Dobbins | DEN
- Woody Marks | HOU
- Dylan Sampson | CLE
- Zach Charbonnet | SEA
- Tyjae Spears | TEN
- Tyler Allgeier | ARI
- Brian Robinson Jr. | ATL
- Tank Bigsby | PHI
- Jonah Coleman | DEN
