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Will Mike Washington Jr. start Week 1 if Ashton Jeanty's ankle injury keeps him out?

Answered 2026-08-24 · from the ChatFFB news wiki

If Ashton Jeanty is ruled out for Week 1, yes, Mike Washington Jr. would almost certainly start — he's the clear RB2 and has already been tabbed as the primary bell-cow in Klint Kubiak's zone-run system if Jeanty misses time (from the Mike Washington Jr. page). He also had a strong preseason, rushing for 100+ yards across two games.

That said, the Raiders' brass (Rapoport and Schefter) have stressed Jeanty's sprained ankle is not a long-term issue, and he's expected back to practice sooner than initially feared. So Washington Jr.'s window as a starter may be limited to a week or two at most.

On FantasyPros, an analyst put it plainly: "Genty [Jeanty] goes down... Mike Washington Jr. is the clear and definitive handcuff" — . He's a strong flex play if Jeanty sits, but don't expect a multi-month takeover.

3 ChatFFB lookups behind this answer
  • Searched ChatFFB for "Ashton Jeanty ankle injury" — 5 pages found
  • Searched ChatFFB for "Mike Washington Jr." — 5 pages found
  • Checked YouTube expert takes for "Mike Washington Jr. Ashton Jeanty injury Raiders handcuff Week 1" — 4 quotes found

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