Should You Trade Ashton Jeanty in Fantasy Football? Examining Value Amid Struggles

Fantasy football managers, just like the Las Vegas Raiders, had high expectations when they drafted Ashton Jeanty.

But they're still waiting for the consistent payoff and, at least for the fantasy players, might have to start considering a trade.

Jeanty was seen as a first- or second-round pick in many fantasy circles going into the season, which meant those who drafted him were surely hoping he would anchor their lineups on a weekly basis.

That has not been the case to this point, as the rookie's struggles against the Dallas Cowboys in Monday's game was yet another example of a lack of dominant production. In fact, he had just six carries for seven yards in the 33-16 loss.

The high expectations were not surprising. After all, he was a Heisman Trophy finalist who won the Doak Walker Award as the nation's best running back and the Maxwell Award as the player of the year while leading Boise State to the College Football Playoff.

Las Vegas also selected him with the No. 6 overall pick of the draft and added him to an offense with Brock Bowers. But he has reached the 100-yard mark on the ground in just one game this season during a loss to the Chicago Bears.

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It was the only time he even surpassed 75 yards on the ground.

Whether fantasy managers should trade him largely depends on if they are in dynasty leagues or single-year leagues that reset before the 2026 campaign. Those in dynasty leagues should hold onto him because he is a rookie and the featured back.

The Raiders will surely continue to rely on him early in his career to see if he can fully unlock the potential that convinced them to select him in the top 10.

But it's a different story for fantasy managers in single-year leagues. The Raiders are going to be playing behind more often than not for the rest of this season, which means more passes and fewer runs for the rookie.

Perhaps Jeanty will have one more breakout game this year, but the evidence suggests he is more likely to struggle on his way to 50 or 60 yards in the remainder of the contests.

So if there's another fantasy manager in your league willing to trade something for value of him with the hope he suddenly finds his form, it's worth the risk and the trade.