The Raiders selected Mike Washington Jr. in the fourth round of the NFL draft. What is his realistic 2026 fantasy outlook, and how might his presence impact Ashton Jeanty and Roman Hemby?

There is a realistic path for Washington to become a must-start fantasy RB. It’s not likely. But the probability is high enough to make him a must-draft player in pretty much every league.

The Raiders’ backfield, of course, is led by Jeanty, who should remain the bell cow, or at least a 250+ touch option. The little-used Dylan Laube and Chris Collier are depth pieces and also preseason cut candidates. Undrafted free agent Roman Hemby is the most intriguing of these three backups as a three-down back with a championship pedigree.

That leaves the speedy Washington, who has the build and track record to be NFL-ready on Day 1. While there is an outside chance that Hemby lights it up in training camp and pushes Washington for early-season mop-up work, the better odds are on Washington forcing Vegas’s hand—that he’s too good to sit on the sidelines.

Jeanty’s standing atop the depth chart is not much of a question mark, despite the fact that in the past 15 years, several seemingly “can’t-miss” first-round RB draft picks have nosedived early in their careers. Let’s assume that Jeanty is here to stay, and that his largely inefficient rookie campaign was a fluke.

The bigger issue is that he’s racked up 718 touches across the past two years, with 640 coming on the ground. That’s a lot of compressed mileage for a 5’8” running back, and it sets him up as a higher-than-normal injury/regression risk. Washington almost assuredly will be undervalued regardless of where he’s ranked this preseason.

This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Mike Washington Jr. rookie fantasy outlook and impact on RB teammates