Zamir White Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Fantasy owners must keep an eye on Raiders RB Zamir White as Josh Jacobs holdout continues

By Clark Dalton | Last updated 8/23/23

As the prolonged contract dispute between the Las Vegas Raiders and Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs drags on, fantasy football owners should keep tabs on Zamir White.

Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Raiders aren't interested in trading Jacobs, who has yet to sign his franchise tag. It remains unclear if he will suit up for Week 1, increasing White's fantasy value.

While the #Colts let Jonathan Taylor seek a trade, league sources say the #Raiders have shown no interest in trading their star RB Josh Jacobs.

Jacobs hasn’t signed his tender, and no deal is imminent to get him into camp. The NFL rushing champ’s status for Week 1 remains TBD. pic.twitter.com/5y7JOOuRf6
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 23, 2023

"But the longer [Jacobs] remains in his current standoff with the Raiders, the more seriously we have to take White, a second-year back with good size [6-feet, 215 pounds] and power," wrote Yahoo Sports fantasy analyst Andy Behrens.

The 122nd overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft only rushed for 70 yards on 17 attempts in 14 games last season. However, the former Georgia Bulldog has looked serviceable through two preseason contests, rushing for 83 yards and a TD on 23 carries.

"He makes extra yards on most contact plays. He's just continuing to improve, and the more he plays, the better he does," Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels said of the 23-year-old, via Mark Anderson of the Associated Press.

When Jacobs returns, he might be rusty. Although he led the league in rushing yards last season (1,653 in 17 games), the 25-year-old-skipped training camp and the Raiders' first two preseason games, missing out on valuable reps.

"It's not easy to go out there and just play games," McDaniels said. "And do it the speed and level you want to do it at unless you've really had enough opportunity to get yourself ready [to] do that. We've talked all year to our team about how nothing carries over from one year to the next. So whether it would be Jacobs or somebody else, it's the same thing."

McDaniels could give White more carries to stabilize Las Vegas' ground attack if Jacobs regresses, making him a viable flex or RB2 option in fantasy leagues.

Per ESPN Fantasy, White's average draft position is 170.1. Taking a chance on him in a late round is wise since he'll provide depth and could hold a more prominent role this season.