ASK THE EXPERTS appears weekly from training camp through the Super Bowl with answers to a new question being posted Thursday morning. How the guest experts responded when we asked them: Which rookie running back do you believe will have the best career?
JASON WOOD
It would be easy to say Ashton Jeanty, as he's been reasonably good despite a terrible supporting cast and inept coaching season to date. But I'll go with Quinshon Judkins, who essentially missed all of training camp and the preseason and somehow stepped onto a team without a legitimate passing attack and has been dominant. To think what he's capable of once the Browns get everything else fixed, astounds.
Wood is Senior Editor at Footballguys.com and has been with the company since its start in 2000. For more than 20 years, Footballguys has provided rankings, projections, and analysis to help fantasy managers dominate their leagues.
KEN HOLIZNA
As much as I love Cam Skattebo's attitude and style of play, I am going with Quinshon Judkins. I thought coming into the year it would be Ashton Jeanty, no questions asked. Since, I have soured on Jeanty a bit. To me he looks game-speed slow and a bit sluggish. Jeanty was clocked at the combine with a 4.42 40 which is .03 faster than Judkins (4.45), but Judkins looks faster on the field than Jeanty. Judkins also has receiving chops that he doesn't get credit for. He caught the ball in his college career, and he has more receptions than Jeanty in his pro career. Cleveland according to many sources have one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL, plus Judkins was not signed until the week of the season opener. Imagine how good he can be with more time on the Browns, with an improved offensive line, and one QB instead of 4 (previously 5). I believe he will have the best career out of the 2025 RB class.
Holizna is a 29-year fantasy football enthusiast and founder of Faith-Family-Fantasy Football in 2019, a family-friendly, faith-based, G-rated fantasy football platform. Rankings contributor to the 2023 Fantasy Index magazine. Find him on Twitter @holihandicapper
HOWARD BENDER
If I could take a rookie RB and lock him in for his career, it's probably Omarion Hampton. The Chargers are locked into a run-first scheme under Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman and that offensive line at full health -- Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt in particular -- is going to be the best in the NFL for a long time. Or for as long as Hampton is with the Chargers, that is.
Bender is a longtime veteran of the fantasy sports industry and the 2008 runner-up for People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive. He serves as the Head of Content for FantasyAlarm.com, a weekly columnist for the New York Post and is the host of the award-winning Fantasy Alarm Show on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (M-F 6-8pm ET). You can find him on X, IG and Facebook as @rotobuzzguy and on TikTok as @therealrotobuzzguy.
SCOTT PIANOWSKI
Omarion Hampton might be the slam-dunk answer here if not for that pesky ankle injury. He had RB5 and RB7 finishes before that injury in the Washington game. Given that Ashton Jeanty is stuck with the crumbling foundation in Las Vegas, I’ll put my chip on Hampton.
Pianowski has been with Yahoo Sports since 2008, covering a variety of sports. On the rare occasions when the computer is turned off, he enjoys word games, poker, music, film, game theory, and a variety of condiments. He lives in suburban Detroit. Pianowski was inducted into the FSWA Hall of Fame in 2021.
SCOTT SACHS
Quinshon Judkins got a late start, but he's blown by fellow rookie RBs Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton, plus his OSU running mate TreVeyon Henderson. The Browns poor offensive line and frequent dropped passes are a big part of the significant regression of their passing offense in 2025, so Judkins has now become their focal point. His 3-TD breakout performance last Sunday against Miami was highlighted by a 46-yard scoring burst, one of his 25 carries, on his way to 84 yards on the day. That means it took 24 carries to gain the other 38 yards, but at least he had 2 more scores. Unfortunately, Cleveland can't play Miami every week, but as long as he's healthy, Judkins is the new bellcow RB for the Browns.
With 2 perfect seasons and multiple league championships to his credit, Sachs runs Perfect Season Fantasy Football, featuring LIVE Talk & Text Advice. He is a 3-time winner of the Fantasy Index Experts Auction League, as well as a previous winner of the Fantasy Index Experts Poll. Follow on X: https://x.com/ffbcoach
ANDY RICHARDSON
It's tough because the two first-rounders, who most would expect would be the stars, have not gotten off the ground due to either injury or carrying the considerable negative of playing for the Raiders. Certainly Quinshon Judkins has been the best so far, and would maybe be the safest choice. Two years from now, when the Raiders have a new coaching staff and roster, maybe Ashton Jeanty will make all that look silly. And maybe even TreVeyon Henderson is being underrated, playing for a coach who apparently believes bringing rookies along at a glacial pace is the way to go. But I'm going to go with Omarion Hampton, with the talent and all-around skill set that I think will ultimately translate into being a full-time guy for a coaching staff that wants to emphasize the run. A year from now, I believe Hampton will be the guy everyone wants to have selected.
Richardson has been a contributing writer and editor to the Fantasy Football Index magazine and www.fantasyindex.com since 2002. His responsibilities include team defense and IDP projections and various site features, and he has run the magazine's annual experts draft and auction leagues since their inception. He writes a weekly gambling newsletter, Index Bets, during the NFL season and also previews all the games on Saturdays and writes a wrap-up column on Mondays.