AshtonJeanty

News: 2 days agoJeanty said prior to Thursday's practice that he feels "really good" about the health of his right ankle and reiterated that he'll be ready to go for Sunday's season opener versus the Dolphins, Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com reports. "Any time away from the game, it's tough," Jeanty said. "But to get back out there [at practice Wednesday], mainly with the guys, man, it felt good."

Spin: Jeanty cleared up any concern about his availability for the opener by turning in a full practice Wednesday, two and a half weeks after he sustained what initially appeared to be a serious-looking ankle injury during an Aug. 23 training camp session. The running back practiced again Thursday, and barring any setbacks, he'll draw the Week 1 start for the Raiders. However, because of the amount of workouts Jeanty missed late in camp while recovering from the ankle injury, the Raiders could look to manage his workload to some degree in the opener and open up more reps for rookie Mike Washington, per Dan Graziano of ESPN.com.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Jeanty is eyeing a leap forward in his second NFL season after an uneven rookie campaign in which the first-round pick enjoyed a ton of volume (seventh among backs in carries, targets and receptions) and played fairly well (eighth among RBs in forced missed tackle rate, per PFF) but struggled to overcome the shaky Las Vegas offense. The good news is that the Raiders' offense should improve in 2026 with a better/healthier offensive line, a new coach in Super Bowl champion Klint Kubiak and a new quarterback in projected No. 1 NFL draft pick Fernando Mendoza. Jeanty has a clean path to a massive offensive role and is a strong bet for a leap forward. The 22-year-old is a midrange RB1 with elite upside.