Ashton Jeanty, RB, Las Vegas Raiders: Is it just me, or are too many head coaches getting a little crazy with benching starters to teach them a lesson or to see if the backup has learned anything since training camp? Yes, I’m actually going to back Ashton Jeanty. Even though Mike Washington went to my high school, I’m taking Jeanty’s side. This is a situational, not a talent issue. Jeanty threw some shade on the Jets heading into the matchup, and his coach didn’t like it, so he benched Jeanty. It’s that simple. Jeanty is a 2nd-place Heisman voting talent. His coach may also have wanted to protect him after he said something stupid. The Jets players are pros, and Jeanty implied they didn’t want to tackle him. So you know they’d target him and might even use cheap shots to make their point. I think that was exactly the case, and Kubiak didn’t want Jeanty hurt. For fantasy purposes, it could be a great opportunity to get Jeanty cheaper than he should be. If you have Jeanty and didn’t handcuff with Washington, shame on you. On the season, Jeanty has 3.1 yards per carry while Mike Washington has only 65 carries, at 4.9 per. That doesn’t mean that Washington is better than Jeanty. Jeanty had three catches for over 60 yards. That’s how you break a game open. Jeanty will try to show out this coming week, but may again get relegated to the pass-catching role because the Raiders will need that against the Niners’ rugged defense.
Austin Ekeler, RB, Washington Commanders: It’s his third year in DC, and he hasn’t had much of a chance to contribute since 2024. He just loves to play. He’s also always been one of the more fantasy-supportive players during his career. He played Division II in college, and still made it to the show. At 5’9″, just barely taller than me, he’s also one of the smallest football players you’ll see. He was a star for the Chargers and has been a consistent contributor with the Commanders since he signed in 2024. With Croskey-Merritt on IR and Rachaad White dinged up, this may be the week we get to see vintage Austin Ekeler take over the Commanders’ backfield, and I’m all in. If your fantasy team is desperate for an RB2, don’t skip over Austin Ekeler. In his day he was a fantastically consistent player.
Greg Dulcich, TE, and Malik Willis: Miami Dolphins: Greg Dulcich hasn’t been a star in the NFL. He wasn’t a big star coming out of high school. He was a walk-on at UCLA. That’s a ballsy move. He’s been one of those guys battling every year for his job. The Broncos drafted him highly, then let him go after just two seasons. He landed in the dumpster fire called the NY Giants in 2024 and 2025. Then, last season, he signed with the Dolphins as an in-season practice squad player and became buddies with Malik Willis. Nothing has come easily for Greg Dulcich in the NFL, and because of that, he’s a guy who plays every snap as if it’s his last one, because it just might be. With limited wide receiver resources in Miami, Malik Willis, who met Greg at the 2022 Senior Bowl, needs Greg as much as Greg needs him if this team wants to win a few games.
Malik Willis played for the Liberty Flames in college before transferring to Auburn. Like Greg, he wasn’t a first-rounder in the draft and has been working toward his dream of becoming a starting NFL QB. It’s hard to see through the smoke around the Dolphins’ poor record, but if you look closely, Malik is settling in and playing well. He’s thrown for over 1200 yards and has 6 total touchdowns. He’s also contributing on the ground, adding three touchdowns and 225 rushing yards. Like Dulcich, he’s had a long journey to this point in his career, and he’s not going to lose this chance. He’s a great bye-week QB that won’t cost you much.
Sometimes, motivation is more powerful than anything else. You can see the players who run harder, prep longer and care more. In the end, they and you win. These are the guys who are sneakily consistent when they’re climbing that ladder.
Have a great week and good luck.
