What's Going On With Ashton Jeanty?
How much should the Raiders — and fantasy owners — read into Ashton Jeanty’s first three pro games?
What’s happening with Ashton Jeanty? The Raiders’ rookie entered the year as the odds-on favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year, a special runner expected to spark Las Vegas’ offense. Despite his disappointing numbers, if you look closely at the Raiders’ run game, it’s pretty easy to see the problem isn’t him.
What’s the issue
Jeanty has carried the ball 47 times for 144 yards, averaging just 3.1 yards per attempt. That ranks him outside the top 65 among NFL running backs.
More telling is how those yards have come. According to ESPN tracking, Jeanty has been hit at or behind the line of scrimmage on 57 percent of his rushes. In Sunday’s 41-24 loss at Washington, 11 of his 17 carries met that fate.
The numbers reflect more on the circumstances around him than on Jeanty. His vision, burst, and tackle-breaking ability remain intact, but those traits have been muted by a Raiders offensive line that ranks last in run-block win rate.
Las Vegas has attempted to combine both gap and zone run schemes, yet has failed to execute either efficiently.
Zone concepts demand linemen to move in unison, creating double-teams before climbing to the second level. Gap schemes call for down-blocks and pulling guards to generate power at the point of attack.
Left tackle Kolton Miller has been the lone positive on the Raiders’ line, steady in both protection and run blocking. Beyond him, the unit unravels.
Center Jordan Meredith has struggled to direct traffic, leaving zone plays disjointed before they can develop. Left guard Dylan Parham too often loses leverage and fails to move defenders off the ball.
On the right side, Jackson Powers-Johnson and veteran Alex Cappa have alternated snaps without providing stability, while second-year tackle DJ Glaze’s raw technique has been exposed by quicker edge rushers.
For Jeanty, each lineman taking turns losing reps makes running lanes close before they ever open, giving plays no chance for any back in the league, particularly a rookie still adjusting to the NFL.
He has been forced to bounce runs outside, cut back prematurely, or absorb contact in the backfield, stripping away the explosiveness that defined his college career.
Until the Raiders settle on a blocking identity simple enough for everyone up front to execute, no back will put up efficient numbers in this run game.
Fantasy implications
For fantasy football owners who invested in Jeanty as an early-round pick, the returns have been equally grim. He ranks outside the top 30 at his position, with one touchdown and negligible receiving production.
It doesn’t help that he’s rarely on the field during obvious passing downs, with the Raiders preferring Zamir White — a bigger, more seasoned back trusted in pass protection and chipping assignments.
Jeanty has five catches for just three yards. He sits 72nd in EPA per rush, yet ranks a respectable 16th in yards after contact, evidence that when lanes do appear, he’s creating extra yardage on his own.
For now, Jeanty remains a player fantasy managers can start with some confidence simply because of his volume and usage. But he’s also the type of back you may have to bench if a bench option offers a cleaner matchup.
His floor feels safe, but his ceiling looks capped when it comes to true outburst outings.