Washington continues backup duties in Week 2

As usual, Washington was far more efficient than lead back Ashton Jeanty, who had 15 yards on eight carries while catching eight passes for 61 yards and a touchdown. Washington can be stashed for now in case Jeanty misses time in the second half of the season. Washington likely won’t get the pass-catching work if Jeanty misses time, however.

Whether Washington plays all that much remains to be seen. He is not a recommended FLEX starter. Raiders coach Klint Kubiak has misdirected at times with injury-related comments. The Raiders declared DT Thomas Booker IV, DE Cian Slone, S Dalton Johnson, DT Jonah Laulu, G Bryan Cabeldue, S Tristin McCollum and QB Aidan O’Connell inactive for Week 7 against the Rams. O’Connell will serve as the emergency third quarterback.

Washington Jr. didn’t practice on Thursday or Friday but still received a questionable designation for Week 7. Fowler added that there is “some optimism” that he plays this week, but the pre-game workout will be the determining factor. Washington saw an uptick in carries last week with nine totes for 43 yards. We don’t expect as much work to go this way given the injury situation.

Washington didn’t practice on Thursday and was not spotted at practice on Friday. It would seem that he’s a very tenuous questionable at this point. Dylan Laube would be next up for backup duties behind Ashton Jeanty if Washington were ruled out.

Dang. This suggests Washington suffered one or both injuries yesterday in practice. He is firmly in the questionable camp and may have only a long shot at suiting up in Week 7 against the Rams. Without him, Ashton Jeanty should handle a solid workload. Dylan Laube could end up serving as the No. 2 running back.

In a semi-surprising twist of fate, the Raiders running back on the practice report with injuries is Washington, who was limited with foot and back injuries on Wednesday. Ashton Jeanty was not listed on the practice report. A limited practice indicates Washington is still trending to play Week 7, but with him appearing on the injury report and Jeanty off, any hopes for Washington achieving standalone fantasy value will have to wait.

Washington’s nine carries were only one fewer than the 10 Ashton Jeanty saw on the night, but Washington was by far the more productive back. The rookie fourth-rounder averaged a solid 4.8 YPC in this one and ripped off an 18-yard run in the fourth quarter on a drive that ended with a Tre Tucker touchdown. Jeanty is dealing with a foot/ankle injury that is clearly limiting him on the field. Washington should continue to spell Jeanty in Week 7 against the Rams, but he doesn’t have much to offer fantasy managers as far as reliable production is concerned. He continues to be nothing more than a stash as long as Jeanty is active and on the field.

It was odd usage for Washington, who had at least five carries in three of four games headed into Week 5. Even Ashton Jeanty being limited with his ankle and foot injuries did nothing to bolster Washington’s involvement in the Vegas offense. In fact, Dylan Laube was the team’s clear No. 2 back behind Jeanty on Sunday. Laube had four carries and three receptions and punched in a short touchdown in the second half of the blowout loss. It raises serious questions about what Washington’s workload might look like if Jeanty misses time this season.

Jeanty will play through his foot and ankle injuries against New England. It wouldn’t be surprising if he cedes some backfield work to a healthy and much more explosive Mike Washington, however. Jeanty should be considered a top-24 option this week while Washington is a desperation flex. Raiders declared WR Jalen Nailor, QB Aidan O’Connell, S Tristin McCollum, RB Roman Hemby, S Dalton Johnson, OL Trey Zuhn, and DT JJ Pegues inactive against the Patriots.

Per Rapoport, Jeanty had a flare-up of plantar fasciitis last week to go along with his ankle injury. He added that Jeanty will work out before today’s game to see how he’s feeling. If he can’t go, Mike Washington Jr. would see the bulk of the backfield touches. Washington has been an explosive complement to Jeanty this year, averaging five yards per carry on 24 attempts. He would jump to the top of the RB2 ranks if Jeanty can’t go.