The Arizona Cardinals just threw a curveball with their No. 3 overall pick, Jeremiyah Love. Even though he’s the highest-drafted running back since 2018, the Cardinals apparently aren’t planning to overwhelm him with touches in his rookie year. Albert Breer from SI.com dropped the news, reporting the regular season plan is a “right rotation” including Love, James Conner, and Tyler Allgeier. Seriously? You take a talent like Love at No. 3 overall, the first running back in the top five since Barkley eight years ago, and he’s not getting the full workload right out the gate? That’s definitely something to talk about.
The Rookie’s Touch-Share Reality
Even with the committee approach, Love still looks set to snag the bulk of the carries. It makes sense, right? He’s the No. 3 pick, after all. His college tape shows a strong pass-catching resume, with 55 receptions over his last two seasons at Notre Dame. That kind of versatility is huge, especially when you’re splitting time. You can get touches through the air even if you’re not getting every handoff. The Cardinals clearly see a future star, but they’re playing the long game with his usage. Fantasy managers are already eyeing him, with his average draft position in PPR leagues sitting at No. 21 overall, right between veterans Derrick Henry, who was RB8 last year, and Brock Bowers. While Bowers had a down 2025 due to a knee injury, he still put up crazy numbers, averaging the second-most fantasy points per game among tight ends. So, the hype for Love is real, but the usage plan is what everyone’s watching.
LaFleur’s High-Stakes Offense
This whole situation gets even more interesting when you look at the Cardinals’ new offense under first-year head coach Mike LaFleur. This guy’s pedigree is legit, having previously worked under offensive masterminds Kyle Shanahan with the 49ers and Sean McVay with the Rams. That’s a serious coaching tree, known for creating explosive, high-scoring offenses. And that’s exactly what the Cardinals figure to be this season: a team in a lot of high-scoring games. This approach means there will be plenty of opportunities for all the skill-position players on the roster to get involved and make plays. If Love’s final touch count lands closer to 250 for the season instead of pushing 300, his overall fantasy value might take a hit. But here’s the kicker: his per-game impact is still expected to be super high. Why? Because of his raw talent and the sheer fact that Arizona will need to score a ton of points just to win games.
So, while we won’t see Jeremiyah Love totally unleashed with 300-plus touches from day one, it’s clear the Cardinals are banking on his pedigree and LaFleur’s scheme to make him a huge per-game factor. Keep your eyes peeled on how LaFleur deploys him in that rotation. Will 250 touches be enough to live up to the No. 3 pick hype? We’re about to find out once the regular season kicks off. It’s gonna be a wild ride in Arizona’s offense, and Love is right at the center of it, even if he’s not getting every single carry.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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