Washington continues backup duties in Week 2

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 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.

Jeanty’s status for Week 1 against the Dolphins remains very much in the air more than a week after he sustained a possible high ankle sprain in practice. If he’s still not practicing by the end of the week, he might be on the wrong side of questionable for the season opener. Mike Washington, who has drawn rave reviews from Raiders coaches, would be in line for a starter’s workload if Jeanty is sidelined.

Jeanty remains sidelined ahead of the Raiders’ Week 1 matchup against the Dolphins after sustaining a potentially high ankle sprain last week. Meanwhile, rookie RB Mike Washington “has changed the staff’s perspective of the running back room,” according to ESPN’s Ryan McFadden with some impressive play during training camp and in the preseason. Head coach Klint Kubiak said he’s “not making any promises on percentages of play time” for Washington or Jeanty ahead of the season opener. Jeanty could be a while before he’s ready to take on a true workhorse role in the Vegas backfield. Washington should be rostered in all fantasy formats for now.