The Las Vegas Raiders aren’t hiding their plans for rookie running back Ashton Jeanty anymore. After two weeks of lighter-than-expected usage, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has finally addressed what many fantasy football owners feared — Jeanty won’t be getting the workhorse role many expected when they used early draft picks on him this summer.
Kelly didn’t mince words about the team’s approach.
"In basketball, it's called load management."#Raiders OC Chip Kelly explains Ashton Jeanty's usage or lack thereof, saying it's game script-dependent while ensuring the rookie doesn't 'get worn down.'
'You would love for Ashton Jeanty to play every play… You have to be… pic.twitter.com/WrnhHjOhuM— Nick Walters (@nickwalt) September 18, 2025
“In basketball, it’s called load management,” Kelly explained Thursday.
The former Oregon and NFL head coach laid out the team’s thinking plainly: “You would love for Ashton Jeanty to play every play… You have to be conscious of, over the course of 17 games, if somebody is carrying the ball 30 times a game, they only have so many carries in a season. If you’re using them early, it’ll hurt you late.”
Reality check for Jeanty owners
This should slam the brakes on expectations for fantasy managers who thought the No. 6 overall pick would immediately step into a bell-cow role. The numbers tell the story — Jeanty’s workload actually decreased from Week 1 to Week 2.
His 19 carries in the season-opening win against New England dropped to just 11 touches in the loss to the Chargers last week. That’s averaging only 15 carries per game — hardly the volume fantasy managers were banking on.
Even more telling? The Raiders have been taking him off the field during two-minute drills and obvious passing situations.
Game script matters.
Kelly pointed to situational football as a major factor in the rookie’s usage. When the Raiders are ahead and looking to control the clock, Jeanty gets more work. When they’re playing catch-up, as they were against the Chargers, his role diminishes.
Learning from Elliott’s decline
From a football perspective (not fantasy), the Raiders’ approach makes perfect sense. Just look at what happened with Ezekiel Elliott in Dallas.
The Cowboys rode Elliott hard from day one after taking him fourth overall in 2016. He racked up at least 1,357 rushing yards in three of his first four seasons — but the heavy workload took its toll. Over his next five years, Zeke crossed the 1,000-yard threshold just once before rapidly declining. Last season’s return to Dallas resulted in a mere 74 carries as a complementary back.
Running backs simply don’t last long in today’s NFL. The position’s aging curve is brutally steep, and teams that overwork their young backs often accelerate their decline.
Kelly and head coach Pete Carroll are clearly thinking long-term with their prized rookie. They invested the sixth overall pick in Jeanty with plans for him to anchor their offense for years — not months.
For fantasy managers who spent high draft capital on the former Boise State star, this isn’t what you wanted to hear. But for the Raiders organization, preserving their investment makes perfect football sense.
Expect Jeanty’s role to grow gradually as the season progresses, but don’t count on him suddenly becoming the 25-touch workhorse some projected. The Raiders have made their intentions crystal clear — they’re playing the long game with their rookie runner.