The Las Vegas Raiders have sent a loud and clear message over the first two weeks to fantasy football managers about Ashton Jeanty’s usage, as the former Boise State star hasn't seen the field (or the ball) as much as anyone expected to start his NFL career. Now, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has come out and confirmed that the team isn't about to start using Jeanty as the bellcow managers may have envisioned when they burned an early draft pick on him over the summer.
This week, Kelly explained how the team sees Jeanty and how he’ll be used in the offense this season. If it wasn’t already noticeable in the first two games, Kelly showed the Raiders’ hand on Thursday.
"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.'
— Nick Walters (@nickwalt) September 18, 2025
'You would love for Ashton Jeanty to play every play... You have to be… pic.twitter.com/WrnhHjOhuM
"In basketball, it's called load management," Kelly said.
“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.”
What to expect from Ashton Jeanty as a rookie
If fantasy managers don’t get the message after that, then nothing will drive it home. Anyone expecting the No. 6 pick in this year’s draft to instantly be Adrian Peterson, taking the majority of the teams touches at RB, has another thing coming. His carry totals from the first couple of games bear that out.
Jeanty’s carries decreased from Week 1 to 2, and he’s averaging 15 carries per game through the first two contests. He carried the ball 19 times in the Raiders’ Week 1 win over New England, then last that total dropped to 11 in a loss against the Los Angeles Chargers. Even more alarming was the team's decision to even take him off the field at points during two-minute drills and other obvious passing downs.
Kelly discussed situational football during his press conference this week and being down late in games as opposed to leading and wanting to run the ball more and running out the clock.
This should’ve been a revelation for the fantasy football world, and a clear warning not to place all bets on Jeanty early in his rookie year. Preserving the player is the game plan Las Vegas seems to be adhering to — and when you remove fantasy concerns from the equation, it's tough to blame them.
A cautionary tale
Look at a player like former Dallas Cowboys star rusher Ezekiel Elliott, who is effectively out of the league less than 10 years after he entered in 2016. It could be argued that Elliott was used up by Dallas and done with his prime by his fifth year in the NFL.
Elliott rushed for at least 1,357 yards in three of his first four NFL seasons. Over his next five seasons, Elliott barely gained 1,000 yards once and then quickly faded away, carrying the ball just 74 times in his return to the Cowboy last season after one year in New England. The aging curve is steep at this position, and riding a running back as hard as Dallas rode Elliott sure seemed to expedite it even further.
Kelly and the Raiders seem to be taking the smart approach and not worrying about what fantasy football managers have to say. When drafting any player as high as Jeanty, a franchise has plans for that guy to be around and productive for an extended period. Elliott is a cautionary tale that teams can and should learn from. Jeanty’s carries will likely increase over time, but Kelly and head coach Pete Carroll don’t seem to be eager on running him into the ground before he hits his real prime.