The Raiders selected Washington in the fourth round of the NFL Draft out of Arkansas, and he is expected to be the primary backup for Ashton Jeanty this season. Washington is worth a late-round pick in all seasonal leagues and a second- or third-round pick in rookie-only drafts for Dynasty leagues. While the landing spot wasn't the most ideal for Washington given Jeanty's presence, new Raiders coach Klint Kubiak comes to Las Vegas from Seattle, where he was the offensive coordinator and used multiple running backs with Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet. That said, we don't expect Washington to have much Fantasy value while Jeanty is healthy. At Arkansas in 2025, Washington had 167 carries for 1,070 yards and eight touchdowns, and he added 28 catches for 226 yards and a touchdown in 12 games. He is a physical runner at 6-foot-1, 223 pounds, and we'll see if he gets goal-line chances with the Raiders in tandem with Jeanty. Washington is worth stashing in all leagues this season since he'll have lottery-ticket upside if Jeanty were to miss any time.
Fantasy News
Raiders' Mike Washington: Set to work behind Jeanty
Rotowire
Washington is slated to work behind Ashton Jeanty this season in a Las Vegas backfield that also currently includes Dylan Laube, Chris Collier and Roman Hemby, Ryan McFadden of ESPN reports.
As a rookie in 2025, Jeanty carried 266 times and caught 55 passes in 17 regular-season games, and new coach Klint Kubiak expects the second-year pro to maintain heavy volume in 2026. With Raheem Mostert and Zamir White no longer in the mix, however, Washington -- who was selected in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft -- has an opportunity to play meaningful snaps this coming season, with McFadden noting that the Arkansas product logged reps with the second team and occasionally with the first-team offense during the Raiders' offseason program. Though Washington doesn't have an immediate path to fantasy lineup utility out of the gate, the 6-foot-2, 228-pounder is a player to keep on the radar in the event that Jeanty misses time for any reason.
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Raiders' Mike Washington: Goes to Las Vegas
Rotowire
The Raiders selected Washington in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 122nd overall.
Washington saw limited opportunities at Buffalo and New Mexico State, but he burst onto the scene during his fifth and final year in college at Arkansas. He was named to the All-SEC Second-Team in 2025 after turning 167 carries into 1,070 yards (6.40 YPC) and eight touchdowns while adding 28 catches for 226 yards and a score across 12 games. Washington is a big back with a 6-foot-1, 223-pound frame that he used to full effect as a punishing, downhill runner, which should lead to a fair amount of touches on early downs. Ashton Jeanty is still the lead back for the Raiders, but Washington seemingly brings the thunder to the team's backfield that complements the lightning of Jeanty.
