The Raiders have a serious problem, fantasy analyst says ‘they rank dead last in…’

Raiders have failed to get Ashton Jeanty going so far in 2025, and fantasy fans are concerned

The franchise drafted Ashton Jeanty with the sixth overall pick in the 2025 draft, but so far, he just hasn’t been able to be the focal point of the offense they were hoping for.

The Raiders won their Week 1 matchup against the New England Patriots, but they failed to run the football well in the game. Ashton Jeanty had 19 carries for 38 yards, and while he did manage to score a touchdown after bundling through contact, the lack of production of the run game was alarming.

Jeanty averaged two yards per carry in the game, and fans were keen to see a drastic improvement in Week 2.

The rookie running back did record a 12-yard run in the game against the Chargers, marking the longest run of his incredibly short professional career so far. However, he totaled just 43 yards on 11 carries, and the Raiders once again struggled tremendously to get the ground game moving.

Fans were concerned about the strength of the offensive line in the preseason, when the group looked dismal in the opening snaps of the game against the Seattle Seahawks.

Those concerns have now been validated, as the main talking point of the Raiders’ offense is the failure of the offensive line, and the resulting lack of involvement for star playmaker Ashton Jeanty.

Fantasy analyst Field Yates raised the point on ESPN, saying:

“Ashton Jeanty had a measly three rushing yards prior to contact last night. So far this season, the Raiders are averaging -.23 yards before contact on running back rushing attempts. It’s dead last in the NFL, and unsurprisingly, the only team in the NFL with a negative yards gained before contact per carry.”

Yates also pointed out that Jeanty’s opportunities were reduced in Week 2, from 21 opportunities in Week 1 to 14 opportunities, and just 11 carries.

The Raiders running back also has a total of five catches through the first two games, for a total of just three receiving yards.

The Boise State product is getting beaten up in the backfield on most of his runs, and the Raiders are failing to create running lanes for him.

Fans are calling for the franchise to move Jackson Powers-Johnson back to center, having started at guard in the opening game of the season.

Offensive line coach and run game coordinator Brennan Carroll (Pete Carroll’s son) opted to move Powers-Johnson to guard in favor of Jordan Meredith playing at center. So far, that decision hasn’t worked out well at all, and the fans want to see the decision reversed.

Pete Carroll has always preached the importance of the run game, including a conversation at the 2025 NFL combine

The Raiders were named one of the top landing spots for Ashton Jeanty in the buildup to the draft, following a terrible year running the football in 2024.

Alexander Mattison was their lead rusher last season with 420 yards, and the team only recorded 10 rushing touchdowns in total on the season.

Carroll was asked about the ground game at the combine, and said:

“The quarterback position needs to be supported in every way possible so they can be as effective as they’re able to be… The running game is a huge part of that.”

“Not just so you can run the football… [Quarterback] is the hardest position in professional sports to play. We need to do everything we can to facilitate it and make it as easy as possible for that guy. That’s why the running game is so fundamental to it.”

It’s clear that Carroll and the Raiders are trying to build a more balanced offense, but so far it hasn’t come to life on the field.