Mike

Washington Jr.

The Raiders have struggled on the ground for most of the season, and that didn’t change in Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs. Washington’s biggest gain came on an 11-yard run, as he averaged less than 1.0 YPC on his other eight carries. Washington remains the top Raiders back to hold in the event of an injury to Ashton Jeanty, but he has no stand alone fantasy value at this time.

Washington looks spry and powerful, as usual, but remains limited to a small workload despite Ashton Jeanty getting his ankles checked early in the game. Washington scored on the Raiders’ sixth drive on a run up the middle. Initially, it looked like the Saints had him bottled up when he met the linebackers just beyond the line, but Washington kept his legs moving and exploded out to the right and took off down the sideline and into the end zone. The officials initially ruled Washington out of bounds inside the Saints’ one-yard line, but Raiders coach Klint Kubiak challenged the spot and won. Touchdown. Washington remains an elite bench stash and touchdown-dependent FLEX in Week 4 against the Chiefs.

Washington saw two of his carries and his lone target in the fourth quarter as the Raiders attempted to bleed the clock. Ashton Jeanty also appeared to get shaken up late in the game, putting Washington on the field for a few extra snaps. Jeanty eventually returned to the game even after the contest was all but decided, so it’s safe to say he’s okay. Washington remains a distant RB2 for the Raiders headed into Week 3.

Washington briefly subbed in on the first drive, but did not touch the ball until the second. Raiders coach Klint Kubiak got him heavily involved early on the third drive, dialing up three consecutive runs, which Washington efficiently turned into 32 yards, but things cooled off after that. The rookie looks just as powerful and explosive as he did in the preseason, and he remains an elite bench stash, but Washington’s standalone FLEX viability is shaky. He does not need to be in fantasy lineups against the Chargers next week.

Overall, these comments are positive, but this is the first time in a while that Kubiak has added a qualifier when complimenting his rookie running back. The Raiders head coach said Washington is “a talented man that we’re going to keep giving opportunities to,” yet notes that the team is now about to go against live defenses “for 17 weeks in a row here before the playoffs, so he’s got to keep maturing.” This serves as a helpful reminder that despite Washington’s strong preseason showing, RB Ashton Jeanty is still the clear-cut starter. Washington can return FLEX value against the Dolphins’ defense, but perhaps Kubiak is considering easing Washington into a rotational role a little more so than he previously indicated. Regardless, Washington remains one of the highest-valued backups in fantasy football and should be rostered in all formats.

This appeared to be the case yesterday, with Jeanty practicing in full to begin the week. It’s still nice to hear Schefter confirm as much, though. While Jeanty nursed his sprained ankle, rookie RB Mike Washington showed out in preseason play, leading NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport to report that Washington is “going to be a thing this year.” Jeanty should be treated as a fantasy RB1, but Washington warrants FLEX treatment, particularly against a rebuilding Dolphins defense this week.

This is great news. Raiders coach Klint Kubiak told reporters earlier today that Jeanty would resume practicing today, however, we assumed it would be a limited session. It turns out Jeanty is already good to go. He faces a soft Dolphins defense in Week 1 and can be treated as a fantasy football RB1 even if rookie RB Mike Washington handles a decent workload as his backup/.

We expect this to be a limited session for the Raiders’ second-year running back. Jeanty has been sidelined since injuring his ankle on August 23rd. Returning for the week’s first official practice puts him on track to play, though the coaching staff could ease him into action in Week 1 against the Dolphins by giving rookie RB Mike Washington a little extra work this week. Hopefully, Jeanty is practicing fully by Friday, if not sooner.

Rapoport reiterated the point, adding that Washington will be a weapon for the Raiders. The rookie running back was electric in the preseason, running for 168 yards on 23 attempts. Ashton Jeanty is expected to be ready for Week 1, but the team could use Washington to ease his workload early in the year. Washington may only be a FLEX play as long as Jeanty is healthy, but that’s still worth a flyer in fantasy drafts.

Kubiak smiled and said “yes” when asked if he thinks Jeanty will suit up for the season opener against Miami. Jeanty has been absent from practice since suffering an ankle sprain a week and a half ago, and the Raiders have danced around offering firm updates about Jeanty’s progress. If Jeanty doesn’t practice in full by next week he should be considered a real game-time call for Kubiak and the Raiders. Mike Washington, meanwhile, should be stashed in all fantasy leagues in case Jeanty is sidelined for a game or two.