- Jeremiyah Love is the elite exception: As the clear-cut RB1 of the class, Love pairs a historic 96.4 PFF rushing grade with a top-tier 80.0 receiving grade (2024-25). He led all Power Four backs with 118 missed tackles forced and 63 explosive runs over the last two years.
- Emmett Johnson’s PPR Floor: The Nebraska standout is a target magnet, ranking third in the class with 95 targets over the last two seasons. While his pass protection grade (18.3) is a reason for pause, his 89.5% catch rate and elite ability to force missed tackles as a receiver make him a high-upside RB2 candidate in pass-oriented offenses.
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Despite the NFL’s shift toward pass-heavy offenses, elite RB1s still tend to outscore elite WR1s, even in points-per-reception (PPR) formats. Identifying incoming rookie running backs who possess high-end “dual-threat” profiles gives fantasy managers an edge over the competition. These players offer higher upside than their one-dimensional counterparts.
RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is the incoming running back class’s clear-cut No. 1 prospect. He possesses an elite three-down profile, likely warranting fantasy football RB1 treatment in Year 1. Love’s 95.3 PFF grade over the past two seasons ranked first among the 32 Power Four running backs with at least 700 offensive snaps from 2024 to 2025.
Love was a unanimous All-American, a Heisman Trophy finalist and won the Doak Walker Award in 2025, which is given to college football’s best running back.
Love turns 21 in May 2026. He measures 6 feet and 212 pounds, with a slightly low body mass index of 28.7. His 4.36-second 40-yard dash ranked second among rookie running backs at the NFL Scouting Combine.
He was a two-year starter at Notre Dame.
Jeremiyah Love: Rushing, receiving and pass-protection performance among Power Four running backs since 2024
| Metric | Value (Rank) |
| PFF Rushing Grade | 96.4 (No. 1) |
| Rush Att. | 361 (No. 6) |
| Missed Tackles Forced | 118 (No. 1) |
| Missed Tackles Forced Per Rush Att. | 0.33 (No. 2) |
| Yards After Contact Per Rush Att. | 4.5 (No. 2) |
| Yards Per Rush Att. | 6.9 (No. 2) |
| Explosive Run Plays | 63 (No. 1) |
| 1st Down &/Or TD Conversion Rate | 30.5% (No. 10) |
| PFF Receiving Grade | 80.0 (No. 7) |
| Targets | 66 (T-No. 9) |
| Target Rate | 20.6% (No. 9) |
| Slot-Target Rate | 5.0% (No. 6) |
| Deep-Target Rate | 3.0% (No. 13) |
| Yards Per Route Run | 1.59 (T-No. 6) |
| Catch Rate | 83.3% (No. 11) |
| Average Depth Of Target | 0.9 (T-No. 7) |
| Missed Tackles Forced Receiving | 24 (No. 4) |
| Yards After Contact Per Reception | 9.8 (No. 7) |
| Explosive Pass Play | 10 (T-No. 7) |
| PFF Pass-Blocking Grade | 54.8 (No. 14) |
Love could begin the season leading a committee, but should have little issue taking over an RB1-level workload as the season progresses.
RB Emmett Johnson, Nebraska
Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson is a potential starter in a pass-oriented offense and can be treated as an RB2 in Year 1. A rookie-season RB1 outcome is possible. Johnson’s 84.8 PFF grade ranked 10th among the 32 Power Four running backs with at least 700 offensive snaps from 2024 to 2025.
He was a two-year starter at Nebraska. Johnson earned first-team All-Big Ten and first-team All-American honors and was named Big Ten Running Back of the Year in 2025.
Johnson, 22, stands 5-foot-10.25 and weighs 202 pounds, with a body mass index of 28.8.
Johnson forces missed tackles efficiently and at a high volume, generates yardage efficiently and possesses reliable hands. His below-average size is an issue in pass protection, and he is a non-elite performer after contact.
Emmett Johnson: Rushing, receiving and pass-protection performance among Power Four running backs since 2024
| Metric | Value (Rank) |
| PFF Rushing Grade | 89.6 (No. 15) |
| Rush Att. | 368 (No. 4) |
| Missed Tackles Forced | 98 (No. 6) |
| Missed Tackles Forced Per Rush Att. | 0.27 (T-No. 8) |
| Yards After Contact Per Rush Att. | 3.0 (T-No. 25) |
| Yards Per Rush Att. | 5.6 (No. 6) |
| Explosive Run Plays | 49 (No. 9) |
| 1st Down &/Or TD Conversion Rate | 29.1% (No. 15) |
| PFF Receiving Grade | 74.2% (No. 11) |
| Targets | 95 (No. 3) |
| Target Rate | 19.1% (No. 13) |
| Slot-Target Rate | 2.4% (No. 15) |
| Deep-Target Rate | 0.0% (T-No. 21) |
| Yards Per Route Run | 1.32 (No. 13) |
| Catch Rate | 89.5% (No. 3) |
| Average Depth Of Target | 0.0 (No. 17) |
| Missed Tackles Forced Receiving | 32 (No. 1) |
| Yards After Contact Per Reception | 8.1 (No. 19) |
| Explosive Pass Play | 10 (T-No. 7) |
| PFF Pass-Blocking Grade | 18.3 (No. 32) |
RB Demond Claiborne, Wake Forest
Wake Forest running back Demond Claiborne profiles similarly to Johnson as a potential starter in a pass-oriented offense, though his size likely makes him more landing-spot dependent. His 75.0 PFF grade ranked 28th among the 32 Power Four running backs with at least 700 offensive snaps from 2024 to 2025.
He stands 5-foot-9.75 and weighs 188 pounds, with a body mass index of 27.2. His 4.37-second 40-yard dash ranked third among rookie running backs at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Claiborne’s passing-game performance spiked in 2024 before declining in 2025. In 2024, he caught 22 of 29 targets for 250 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns while averaging 1.54 yards per route run (YPRR) and earning a 73.4 PFF receiving grade.
In 2025, he caught 28 of 38 targets for 137 receiving yards and zero receiving touchdowns while averaging 0.66 YPRR and earning a 41.1 PFF receiving grade. He earned a 66.2 pass-blocking grade on 159 pass-protection snaps in 2024 and a 46.8 pass-blocking grade on 42 pass-protection snaps in 2025.
He was a two-year starter at Wake Forest. He earned third-team All-ACC honors as both a running back and kick returner in 2024 and was a second-team All-ACC running back in 2025.
Among the 82 Power Four players with at least 21 total special teams returns from 2023 to 2024, Claiborne ranked 11th in yards per kick return (26.7) and tied for 28th in missed tackles forced per return (0.4). He earned a 70.1 PFF kick return grade in 2023 and a 46.0 PFF kick return grade in 2024.
Claiborne is a talented, shifty player with the ball in his hands.
Demond Claiborne: Rushing, receiving and pass-protection performance among Power Four running backs since 2024
| Metric | Value (Rank) |
| PFF Rushing Grade | 78.6 (No. 29) |
| Rush Att. | 408 (No. 2) |
| Missed Tackles Forced | 82 (No. 11) |
| Missed Tackles Forced Per Rush Att. | 0.2 (T-No. 19) |
| Yards After Contact Per Rush Att. | 3.1 (T-No. 19) |
| Yards Per Rush Att. | 4.8 (No. 21) |
| Explosive Run Plays | 48 (No. 10) |
| 1st Down &/Or TD Conversion Rate | 23.3% (No. 27) |
| PFF Receiving Grade | 53.0 (No. 28) |
| Targets | 67 (No. 8) |
| Target Rate | 18.1% (No. 18) |
| Slot-Target Rate | 1.1% (No. 22) |
| Deep-Target Rate | 1.5% (No. 20) |
| Yards Per Route Run | 1.05 (No. 19) |
| Catch Rate | 74.6% (No. 24) |
| Average Depth Of Target | -0.6 (No. 21) |
| Missed Tackles Forced Receiving | 18 (No. 11) |
| Yards After Contact Per Reception | 9.3 (No. 11) |
| Explosive Pass Play | 8 (T-No. 14) |
| PFF Pass-Blocking Grade | 55.9 (No. 13) |
Claiborne should warrant PPR flex consideration at worst this season. He could produce an RB2 finish if the right pass-oriented team drafts him.
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