Dynasty Football Rookie RB Rankings: Quinshon Judkins, RJ Harvey Slip

Some of the toughest fantasy football players to predict are the rookies, and the most important rookies to get right might just be the running backs. They tend to be the most likely to become elite stars in their first year, even if other positions have been closing the gap. We are ranking the top six rookie running backs in Dynasty leagues, so you can make the right picks at your draft this year.  

This pretty much goes without saying; we all know that Jeanty is going to be the top rookie running back selected this season, and rightfully so. However, if you want him on your team, you're probably going to have to spend a first-round pick to get him. 

Hampton is a special runner and landed on a team that is dedicated to running the ball early and often. Head coach Jim Harbaugh has come in and shown a commitment to the run, both with his play calling and roster construction. While the addition of Najee Harris could cause a snap split early in the season, Hampton will eventually wrestle away the clear starting job by being undeniable. Also, the recent July 4 fireworks injury to Harris's eye could kick the door open for Hampton to earn this job over the next few months if he gets the vast majority of the snaps with Harris missing time. That situation will be important to follow leading up to the season.

Henderson might be the most dynamic playmaker at running back in this rookie class. He's a constant big-play threat who should carve out a major role in the passing attack. The Patriots are an ascending offense with a very talented second-year quarterback and a running back who has looked progressively worse over the past couple of seasons. This offense will look significantly more explosive when Henderson is on the field compared to when Rhamondre Stevenson is out there. Henderson is set to be the next PPR superstar and could be ranked even higher if not for a projected lack of volume. 

I have been flip-flopping Henderson and Judkins for weeks, but Judkins' recent domestic violence arrest is enough to drop him just barely behind Henderson. However, we are splitting hairs with these two former Ohio State Buckeyes. Judkins is less dynamic but can handle a much larger workload. Rookie Dylan Sampson and Jerome Ford also could have a bigger impact on Judkins than Stevenson will have on Henderson. These two are close and both are outstanding options, but Judkins has fallen just out of the top three. 

We are expecting Johnson to seamlessly slide into the Najee Harris role next to Jaylen Warren this season. Head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith want to run the ball, and Johnson should see over 15 carries a game, and is an upgrade over Harris in the passing game and when it comes to big-play potential. He could make a push for being an RB1 this season and even outperform where he is ranked on this list. The upside is massive if Aaron Rodgers can manage to improve this offense at all this season. 

No running back made a bigger climb in the rankings after being drafted this year than Harvey, and it may not be warranted. If you didn't love him as a prospect, you may not want to put all your eggs in the basket of Sean Payton. We keep hearing about how it's smart to draft Payton's running backs, and one of them is bound to break out year after year, but all we've gotten is disappointment and subpar production. Harvey looked like a decent bet before they brought in JK Dobbins, but that really muddies Harvey's path to massive volume. At some point, maybe we stop expecting Payton to turn duds into gold and consider that maybe guys like Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham, and Alvin Kamara were just special players.