In a weak 2026 NFL Draft class for running backs, the top two options came from the same school — Notre Dame backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. Love, viewed as the best prospect at the position, went No. 3 overall to the Arizona Cardinals. Price, jumbled in the second tier of RBs, went at the tail-end of the first round to the defending champion Seattle Seahawks.
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Now, the fun begins. Undoubtedly, the two backs will constantly be compared to each other, from both a real football and fantasy football standpoint. So the debate begins: should Love and Price be drafted in a similar tier in fantasy football in 2026?
Matt Harmon was joined by Justin Boone to answer the question of Love versus Price in fantasy for the upcoming season.
Boone doesn’t believe the gap will be close at all when it comes to these two backs. The question brings up TD equity, hinting at backup RB Tyler Allgeier, who was signed by Arizona in free agency, vulturing goal-line carries from the rookie back. We saw the same scenario unfold not too long ago in Atlanta with Allgeier and Bijan Robinson.
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Despite splitting work in Year 1 for the Falcons, Robinson posted eight total touchdowns while Allgeier had just four.
As for Love and Price, the Cardinals used high draft equity to add the former while the latter went late in the first round. Boone points to the backs we’ve seen go toward the end of the first round historically — not a great hit rate.
Boone slams home the point by rattling off that in the past 13 years, RBs taken in the top-12 picks in the draft all finished RB14 or better in fantasy as rookies. This group includes Robinson (RB12), Ashton Jeanty (RB14), Jahmyr Gibbs (RB9), Saquon Barkley (RB3), Christian McCaffrey (RB11) and Leonard Fournette (RB8). Even Trent Richardson did it as a rookie.
Boone is excited to take Love, given this information, and has the rookie ranked in the low RB1 range going into 2026. As for Price, Boone will be happy if the back can get into the low-end RB2 range for fantasy.
Harmon plays devil’s advocate a bit by pointing out that Price has a clear path to high-end RB2 status in a good rushing ecosystem and overall situation in Seattle. Kenneth Walker III walked in free agency and Zach Charbonnet is hurt. If Price does well this summer, he could have an easy time getting to the top of the Seahawks’ RB depth chart.
Harmon also begs the question: how many TDs are the Cardinals going to score if Allgeier is vulturing TDs? While Harmon thinks the question isn’t totally out of bounds, he still views Love in a tier above Price. The odds of Love being “incredible” are simply higher than Price.