Ashton Jeanty is “still on the mend” from his ankle injury, with Raiders HC Klint Kubiak offering no meaningful update while saying the team is counting on its RB1 for Week 1. That is not exactly a medical clearance, and fantasy managers may not get a definitive answer until Las Vegas begins Week 1 preparations.
Meanwhile, rookie Mike Washington has turned 23 preseason carries into 168 yards and 7.3 yards per carry, putting himself on the contingency radar if Jeanty cannot go. Jeanty remains the prize, but Washington is becoming the insurance policy worth drafting before the injury news forces his price higher. PlayerProfiler currently has Jeanty as RB3 while Mike Washington climbs to RB31.
Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty had 23 carries ...
Las Vegas Raiders second-year running back Ashton Jeanty ...
Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (ankle) was ...
The Raiders gathered on the field after Ashton Jeanty suffered a suspected major right leg injury, putting his 2026 workhorse in serious jeopardy. While Las Vegas awaits definitive imaging on the structural damage, rookie backup Mike Washington Jr. steps directly into lead-back duties.
At 6-foot-1 and 223 pounds with an 84th-percentile 11.0-percent College Target Share, Washington possesses the size and receiving chops to absorb instant bellcow volume if Jeanty misses regular season games. Dylan Laube would take on some of the passing down work and should be rostered in all dynasty league formats.
UPDATE: Ian Rapoport is now reporting that Jeanty suffered a sprained ankle that is not considered a “long-term” injury.
Ashton Jeanty commands the backfield landscape after a rookie season featuring 975 rushing yards and a 10.8% College Target Share that highlights his foundational three-down profile. Despite head coach Klint Kubiak historically leaning on a multi-back rotation, team reports confirm the 211-pound back is actively securing a true bellcow workload by developing his pass protection and receiving skills.
If Jeanty refuses to come off the field, his volume projection climbs well past the 321 touches that he handled last year. Jeanty is a smash at the 1-2 turn in both best ball and superflex dynasty start-ups.
The Las Vegas Raiders just added a redundant running back at No. 122 by drafting Mike Washington Jr., a 225-pound hammer who pairs a verified 121.2 Speed Score (98th-percentile) with the 4.38-second 40-yard dash necessary to erase pursuit angles in the open field. Washington is posted a 19.2 Breakout Age and a dominant 80-percent backfield dominator rating during his final campaign at Arkansas, proving he possesses the high-volume gravity and 97th-percentile burst to operate as a true three-down engine if given the keys to a backfield.
In dynasty formats, this is a rough landing spot for Mike Washington Jr. as an insurance policy behind last year’s top drafted back, Ashton Jeanty. What could have been an interesting dynasty player moved to a high-upside handcuff if Jeanty happens to go down with an injury.
To the surprise of no one, the Las Vegas Raiders selected QB Fernando Mendoza. The Heisman Trophy winner and National Champion from IU will signal an organizational reset with new HC Klint Kubiak.
The arrival of Mendoza should put him on the low-end QB1/high-end QB2 radar and raises the ceiling of the entire offense, including TE Brock Bowers and RB Ashton Jeanty.
The Las Vegas Raiders are not considered a team that is deep at wide receiver. Jakobi Meyers is an ever present value in best ball as he is going in round 6 on Underdog as the WR40. The offense is set to run through tight end Brock Bowers and stud rookie running back Ashton Jeanty in 2025.
With Jakobi Meyers being the best Raiders wide receiver by default, it leaves opportunity for another receiver to emerge. After the 2025 NFL Draft it was initially believed that Jack Bech would be the logical player to rise in Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly’s offense. Instead, it is Dont’e Thornton who is catching plenty of buzz as he has stood out in minicamp.
As this word has gotten out it has sent the two rookie receivers in opposite directions. In the last week on Underdog, Thornton has risen 9.7 spots into the early 17th round. Divergent from Thornton has been Jack Bech who has fallen 6.5 spots into the early 13th round.
Bech was selected in round 2 of the NFL Draft while Thornton went in round 4. There is still an appropriate gap in drafts, but as fantasy gamers get wise to Thornton’s ability the gap will certainly close. Clicking both Bech and Thornton at ADP will help build unique lineups and will be particularly unique when stacking with quarterback Geno Smith.
Author: Jeremiah Retzlaff (@coachretzlaff1)
