Raiders Stay Coy on Ashton Jeanty's Week 1 Status Despite Optimism
GM John Spytek says Jeanty is 'in a good spot' but won't commit to a return date — a wrinkle for anyone who drafted the RB1 in Round 3.
Trending toward Week 1, but monitor practice reports before locking him in.
- Jeanty ranks #33 overall, #11 at RB in our model
- 266 carries, 975 yards, 5 rush TD in 2025
- 245 PPR points across 17 games last season
- Rookie Mike Washington ran for 168 preseason yards
- Kubiak says team is 'counting on' Jeanty for Week 1
The Raiders want you to feel good about Ashton Jeanty for Week 1 — they just won't put a date on it. Head coach Klint Kubiak has said Las Vegas is counting on its 2025 sixth overall pick to suit up for the opener, but on Tuesday GM John Spytek stopped short of any guarantee. He described Jeanty as being "in a good spot" and on the mend, adding he expects the back to return as fast as possible, maybe faster than people think. When exactly? Spytek left that blank.
That's a meaningful shrug for anyone who spent a mid-Round 3 pick on him. Jeanty enters 2026 as our No. 33 player overall and No. 11 at running back, coming off a 2025 rookie year in which he logged all 17 games, 266 carries, 975 rushing yards and five scores on the ground — good for 245 PPR points once you fold in 55 catches for 346 yards and five receiving touchdowns.
Spytek's tone was upbeat. He praised Jeanty's maturity and the way he attacks his recovery, framing this as a bump rather than a real threat to the season. The problem is that front-office optimism and a confirmed active designation are two very different things, and September fantasy managers live and die on the second one.
The Mike Washington Wrinkle
There's a name lurking behind Jeanty that deserves a spot on your watch list: rookie Mike Washington, the fourth-round pick who ripped off 168 yards on 23 carries this preseason. That's 7.3 yards a pop against backup defenses, sure, but it's also the kind of efficiency that earns a committee role if the lead back is limited or eases in slowly off an injury.
If Jeanty misses time or splits early-season work, Washington becomes a legitimate contingency stash in deeper leagues. Even a fully healthy Jeanty may not be an every-down bell cow right out of the gate, which caps the immediate upside of a back drafted for volume.
The Fantasy Verdict
Hold and stay alert. Jeanty is trending toward Week 1 and you didn't draft him to bench him, but the absence of a firm timeline means you shouldn't treat him as locked in until you see full practice participation and no injury tag. Have a Plan B on your bench, and if you rostered Washington already, don't drop him for a bye-week flyer just yet. Watch the Wednesday-through-Friday practice reports closely — that's where this one gets decided.
