Kubiak optimistic Jeanty will play Week 1

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.

Jeanty was bottled up on the ground for most of the day. A 19-yard run he ripped off in the fourth quarter accounted for 32.8 percent of his yards on the ground, but his work in the passing game was enough to provide a solid day for fantasy managers. Jeanty’s six receptions tied a season-high for the second-year receiver, while his eight targets set a new season-high and tied a career-high he set last season. Jeanty briefly exited this game with what appeared to be a leg/ankle injury, but returned on the following drive after being evaluated. He hasn’t found the end zone since Week 1, but he remains a strong volume play heading into Week 5 against the Patriots. Jeanty’s work as a receiver is keeping in the RB1 ranks despite his struggles on the ground over the last three weeks.

Jeanty exited late in the third quarter with what appeared to be a right leg injury, but was back on the field to take a handoff on the next possession. With nearly a full quarter of play left in the game, we’ll see if Jeanty can finish this one out as the Raiders look to push their record to 4-0 for the season.

We’re waiting for an official diagnosis on this, but Jeanty appeared to have his leg rolled up on by a defender while being tackled in the backfield. Jeanty was seen walking gingerly to the field after going down and was tended to by trainers. Rookie Mike Washington will takeover in Jeanty’s absence.

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.

Jeanty touched the ball four times on the Raiders’ opening drive before visiting with Raiders trainers while the Saints carried out their second possession. The medical staff taped both of Jeanty’s ankles and had him ready to go before the Raiders got the ball back. He came up grimacing after his ensuing carry, but remained active throughout all four quarters and totaled 21 touches on the day. He earned an end zone target on a wheel route early on, but the ball was overthrown. Jeanty might show up on the injury report this week, but he should be ready for an RB1-worthy workload against the Chiefs by the end of the week.

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.

Jeanty was inefficient on all fronts, averaging 2.3 yards per carry and 2.1 yards per target. That number was dragged down by three drops on the day. Jeanty also failed to punch in a pair of goal line carries in the first quarter, resulting in a turnover on downs. Things seemingly went from bad to worse when Jeanty appeared to get injured late in the fourth quarter, but the Raiders ultimately sent him back onto the field a few plays later. He may pop up on the injury report later this week, but it doesn’t look like a major issue. Fantasy managers won’t be pleased with the box score, but the good news is that Jeanty was a workhorse on the ground and through the air. Despite the quiet day, he will remain in the RB1 mix when the Raiders take on the Saints next week.

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.

Any lingering concerns over Jeanty’s ankle injury can be put to rest. The second-year running back served as the Raiders’ offensive focal point from start to finish, regularly shaking defenders and plowing through contact. Jeanty scored two touchdowns on routes run out of the backfield, beating Dolphins rookie CB Chris Johnson with a cut on the first and barreling through a would-be tackler as he entered the end zone on the second. His six catches tie for a team-high. Jeanty is a locked-in RB1 against the Chargers next week.