Mike Washington logs seven carries in blowout

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.

Raiders coach Klint Kubiak was asked about the backfield’s status with Washington coming off top-tier preseason play while RB Ashton Jeanty (ankle) rehabs his recent injury. Kubiak said he is “not making any promises on percentages of play time,” but he thinks both backs “will prepare to play a lot of football and as these games unfold, you react to the game.” McFadden used the term “1-2 punch” to sum up Kubiak’s potential running back usage. McFadden also notes that “in May, Kubiak talked about using Jeanty as a bell cow running back,” and reports of that nature continued rolling in through early August. Washington has wowed as of late, though, and may be able to generate FLEX-worthy stat lines alongside Jeanty this season.

Funny enough, it’s the same line Kubiak provided to reporters on Tuesday when asked about the health of his RB1. Kubiak did say that the Raiders were “counting on (Jeanty)” for Week 1, but that’s hardly a sign that the Raiders expect him to suit up. With teams not being required to release official injury reports until the week leading up to the first game of the season, it’s possible that we won’t have a clear answer regarding Jeanty and his availability until the Raiders begin preparing for Week 1’s game against the Dolphins. In the event Jeanty can’t go, rookie Mike Washington is expected to see a substantial role after a solid preseason in which he rushed 23 times for 168 yards while averaging an impressive 7.3 YPC. Washington is worth a draft pick in all formats right now, especially with Jeanty’s status up in the air.