Raheem

Mostert

Mostert, as usual, operated as the RB2 behind Ashton Jeanty. Though he wasn’t very effective against the Titans, Mostert still has plenty of contingent value if Jeanty were to miss time this season. With 16 rushes over his past three games, Mostert should be stashed on benches in deeper fantasy formats.

Mostert is up to 12 touches over the past two weeks after previously not handling the ball, but five of his carries this afternoon came on the Raiders’ meaningless final series. Ashton Jeanty has actually been consolidating work during Mostert’s emergence, not shedding it. The 33-year-old veteran would be part of a committee were Jeanty to go down with injury.

Mayer’s absence reduces TE Brock Bowers’ positional target competition. Bowers logged a season-high 55 offensive snaps last week after Mayer exited in the first quarter. Bowers is an elite TE1 against a Bears defense missing starting slot CB Kyler Gordon (hamstring) and LB T.J. Edwards (hamstring). Through three games, the unit tied for a league-high 24 receptions allowed to opposing tight ends. The Raiders are also notably keeping RB Raheem Mostert active for the first time this season, while rendering White inactive. Mostert is unlikely to be fantasy-relevant, but he could run efficiently on a handful of carries in a change-of-pace role.

Nothing to see here. The biggest question mark throughout the week was Brock Bowers, who was removed from the team’s final injury report on Friday. The Raiders will look to get back on track in Week 3 against a banged-up Commanders team that allowed 124 receiving yards to Tucker Kraft in Week 2, which could signal a productive day for Bowers.

There was summer chatter Mostert could serve as the Raiders’ “primary third-down back,” but instead he’s on the sideline without an injury. It’s further wheels up for first-round rookie Ashton Jeanty. Zamir White will likely serve as the primary breather back, with second-year pro Dylan Laube perhaps mixing in. Joining Mostert on the inactives list are S Tristin McCollum, LB Brennan Jackson, OT Charles Grant, OG Caleb Rogers, DT JJ Pegues and DL Leki Fotu.

This goes against everything we believe about No. 6 overall pick Ashton Jeanty and his impending usage. Billed as a legitimate third-down back who racked up 80 receptions and 862 yards in three seasons at Boise State, Jeanty’s profile coupled with his high draft capital have led many to believe he would be the unquestioned bell-cow in the Raiders’ backfield. While that may still be the case, Reed suggests Mostert, 33, could see a reasonable amount of work on third down. Jeanty is 12 years younger than Mostert and should see plenty of work to be worth the high-end draft picks fantasy managers are using on him. Any news of Mostert possibly seeing some work on third down shouldn’t be enough to detract fantasy managers from Jeanty at this time. Let’s see how things play out in training camp.

We wouldn’t read too much into this just yet. While Carroll appears open to using multiple backs in his offense, it’s worth pointing out that during his two years coaching Kenneth Walker in Seattle (2022-2023), Walker enjoyed a 31 percent opportunity share while handling 61 percent of the team’s rush attempts — which ranked fifth-highest among running backs over that span. Jeanty is a legitimate three-down back sharing the field with 33-year-old Raheem Mostert and the underperforming duo of Zamir White and Sincere McCormick. While other backs will undoubtedly see work behind Jeanty, the rookie has appeared to live up to the hype in OTAs and mandatory minicamp, and should be in line for a high-end RB1 role as far as fantasy is concerned.

Mostert will turn 33 next month. After defying Father Time in his age-31 season, when he ran for 1,012 yards and totaled 21 touchdowns in 2023, Mostert was an afterthought in Miami’s offense last season. A chest injury forced Mostert to miss a handful of games early in the season, the veteran running back appeared in 13 games after that but averaged only eight touches per game when active. The Raiders need more than an aging back to fix an offense that finished dead last in yards per carry (3.6) last season, but Mostert could have stopgap fantasy value while they figure out their back of the future.

Mostert spent the 2022-2024 seasons with the Dolphins. His Miami tenure is highlighted by a highly productive 2023 showing in which he rushed 209 times for 1,012 yards and 18 touchdowns and caught 25-of-29 targets for 175 yards and three touchdowns. The 32-year-old could find work as a speedy, part-time player but it would be unsurprising to see him retire at this point. With Mostert gone, second-year RB Jaylen Wright steps into the No. 2 role behind De’Von Achane.

After leading the league with 18 rushing touchdowns in 2023, Mostert struggled to make much of an impact this season. The veteran running back took a clear backseat to De’Von Achane this season and finished the year with a rushing line of 85-278-2. Mostert will be a free agent this offseason, and turns 33 in April. His days as a lead back are all but over, but whether or not he can catch on with another team in a committee role is to be determined. What will likely be his final season in Miami didn’t do much to help his case, but it’s hard to blame the Dolphins for not wanting to take De’Von Achane off the field. As things stand right now, it’s hard to find any fantasy upside for Mostert heading into next season, but that could change depending on where he lands.