Inside: The mystery of the struggling rookie running backs, The Athletic’s Week 4 Power Rankings, plus fantasy prep and Jake Ciely’s buy-low receiver.

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Rookie running back blues

What’s going on with Raiders rookie running back Ashton Jeanty? Taken No. 6 overall and hailed as a prospect like Saquon Barkley and Bijan Robinson, Jeanty is averaging just 3.1 yards per carry (74th of 96 eligible RBs) and 48 yards per game.

For perspective, and since fantasy points are a useful measuring stick for production, Jeanty is averaging 8.6 fantasy points per game, which is less than Jacory Croskey-Merritt, drafted six rounds and 239 picks later.

What does his slow start mean? Is there a long-term concern?

Let’s start with the problem. Vegas fields one of the league’s worst run-blocking offensive lines, and they are the only team with negative yards before contact. Translation: that means Raiders running backs are hit initially behind the line of scrimmage on your average play. As evidence, Jeanty has more yards after contact than total rushing yards. 🤯

Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly was supposed to breathe life into this offense, but by prioritizing Jeanty over an improved line (the offensive line coach is Pete’s son, Brennan Carroll, by the way), the Raiders have set the rookie up to fail.

It’s early, but will it end up a mistake for the Raiders to take Jeanty ahead of Jets OT Armand Membou, Saints OT Kelvin Banks Jr. and Cowboys G Tyler Booker, who has been dominant in the run game — his 93.1 PFF run-blocking grade ranked second among all offensive linemen in Week 3? We’ll see.

Maybe they should’ve done what Carroll did in 2010, his first draft as the de facto GM in Seattle, when many expected him to take RB C.J. Spiller but he instead improved the trenches with OT Russell Okung.

Jeanty rarely gets decent blocking, but when he does, the talent is obvious:

So no, there’s no long-term concern here, but we can’t expect dramatic improvement for Jeanty in 2025. Sorry, fantasy drafters.

Quarterback Geno Smith — who saw pressure on 64.7 percent of his dropbacks behind this line — is also feeling the effects. The Raiders are 1-2, but neither Smith nor Jeanty is to blame for the team’s lowly 25th spot in The Athletic’s Power Rankings.

Plenty of struggling rookie RBs

Jeanty’s struggles aren’t unique among this year’s class, which has the talent and depth to join the historically strong groups of 2008 and 2017. Early returns aren’t promising, but do these slow starts matter? More than I expected, at least in year one.

Here’s how the 2008 class performed through three weeks:

Round 1 Chris Johnson: 15.2 PPG (13th)
Round 1 Darren McFadden: 12.9 PPG (19th)
Round 1 Jonathan Stewart: 10.8 PPG (32nd)
Round 2 Matt Forte: 22 PPG (5th)
Round 2 Ray Rice: 6.7 PPG (54th)
Round 3 Jamaal Charles: 5.9 PPG (57th)

Of that group, only Johnson and Forte finished among the top-20 running backs, and both were already in that category after three weeks. None of the others elevated into above-average contributors during their rookie season.

It was a similar result in 2017, with one exception:

Round 1 Leonard Fournette: 17.5 PPG (8th)
Round 1 Christian McCaffrey: 13.5 PPG (15th)
Round 2 Dalvin Cook: 17.7 PPG (6th)
Round 2 Joe Mixon: 7.9 PPG (41st)
Round 3 Alvin Kamara: 9.8 PPG (27th)
Round 3 Kareem Hunt: 32.3 PPG (1st)

Of that list, Fournette, McCaffrey, Cook and Hunt all maintained their status as top-20 running backs for the rest of the season, while the others were marginal contributors.

As you may have noticed, any running back among the top-20 scorers at the position through three weeks finished in a similar position.

The one outlier in both lists? Alvin Kamara, who started slow before elevating into the fourth-best running back from Weeks 4-17 during his rookie season, averaging 22.4 points per game.

Here’s how the top runners are performing in 2025:

Round 1 Jeanty: 8.6 PPG (34th)
Round 1 Omarion Hampton: 12.2 PPG (22nd)
Round 2 TreVeyon Henderson: 8.3 PPG (36th)
Round 2 Quinshon Judkins: 13.3 PPG (20th)
Round 3 Kaleb Johnson: -0.05 PPG (96th)
Round 4 Bhayshul Tuten: 8.2 PPG (37th)
Round 4 Cam Skattebo: 13.6 PPG (18th)
Round 7 Jacory Croskey-Merritt: 8.7 PPG (33rd)

Who is most likely to be this year’s Kamara? The short answer is probably none of them, as the now 30-year-old saw a unique mix of talent, fit and improvement lead to his breakout rookie season.

Key to Kamara’s rookie year was his pass-game volume, as he averaged six targets per game from Weeks 1-3 before finishing with over 800 yards receiving.

The closest runner this year? Maybe not R.J. Harvey, despite his role in a similar Sean Payton offense.

This year’s Kamara might be either Skattebo or Henderson. The Giants running back saw eight targets in Week 3 and offers the mix of receiving ability, elusiveness and vision that made Kamara special, while the explosive Patriots rookie has seen 11 targets, second to only Skattebo, and should see more work if (when?) Rhamondre Stevenson fumbles again.

Over to Jake, who covers a different position.

All In with Jake Ciely: Buying low on Ridley

Jacob asked me to choose among three underperforming receivers for the rest of the season: Terry McLaurin, Marvin Harrison Jr. or Calvin Ridley.

Ridley has concerns I covered in waivers, the Cardinals continue to misuse Harrison (go routes majority of the time), and now McLaurin could have a multi-week absence. So, my answer, despite concerns, is Ridley.

It comes down to use versus regression. Unless the Cardinals adjust how they deploy Harrison, we will continue to see WR3 boom/bust value. At least the Titans are making changes, handing off play-calling to Bo Hardegree. Ridley is still the top Titans receiver … in treatment, but like Brian Thomas in Jacksonville, the connection hasn’t been there. Cam Ward will grow as his rookie season progresses, and the Titans have faced two stout defenses, and Ridley squared off against a strong corner for most of Week 3. It will get better for Ridley. We can’t say the same for Harrison, and now McLaurin is a question mark.

Back to you, Jacob.

Week 4 fantasy waivers and targets

Last Tuesday’s newsletter tabbed Skattebo as the top pick. Skattebo finished with 121 total yards, six receptions and a touchdown, equaling 24.1 fantasy points. He looks like a potential league winner. That’s what we do here!

If you missed on Skattebo, you’re in luck: We have another must-add running back for you this week. (Before we begin: You can safely drop Browns RB Dylan Sampson, Texans WR Jayden Higgins and QB C.J. Stroud, and most of these guys — except Travis Hunter and Kyler Murray. Also, do not drop Harvey yet.)

No. 1: Cardinals RB Trey Benson. Every season, a starting running back gets injured and we flock to the backup. Benson is this year’s version after James Conner’s season-ending injury. Though the Cardinals sophomore runner won’t replace Conner 1:1, he is more explosive and offers top-15 upside for the rest of the year.

No. 2: Bears WR Luther Burden III. Ignore his production, as most of it came on the 60-yard flea-flicker touchdown. Instead, I’m most intrigued by the chance that Chicago moves DJ Moore or replaces Olamide Zaccheaus with Burden, who ran just 9 routes Sunday. This is purely a second-half, bet-on-talent play.

No. 3: Texans RB Woody Marks. As Jake wrote in his Week 4 waiver column, Marks is approaching 40 percent of the touches, including a 50/50 split of third-down work in Houston. It might not be long before that split shifts in favor of the explosive rookie.

No. 4: Raiders WR Tre Tucker. His 40-plus point Week 3 won’t happen again, but Tucker is the Raiders clear WR2, running 90 percent of routes each week. With targets funneled to Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers, don’t overspend, but as Week 3 proved, Tucker has the upside for big weeks when Vegas is trailing.

Deeper leagues: Chargers rookie TE Oronde Gadsden II was a popular offseason breakout pick and saw seven targets on just 22 snaps in his first NFL action, finishing with five receptions for 46 yards.

The multi-week absence of star receiver CeeDee Lamb is most likely to benefit Jake Ferguson, but the explosive WR Kavonte Turpin should run the underneath routes Lamb vacates.

There’s also Cardinals RB Emari Demercado, the backup in Arizona behind Benson, and Packers WR Dontayvion Wicks, who has a dream matchup against the Cowboys’ leaky defense this week.

For more: Read Jake Ciely’s Week 4 Waiver Wire column.

Extra Points

📊 QB Stock Report. Jeff Howe asks whether C.J. Stroud is playing himself out of an extension in his updated quarterback rankings. 😬

📈 MNF Dominance. The Ravens fell to 1-2 after Detroit’s 38-30 victory last night. Our full takeaways here. Baltimore has a borderline must-win against Kansas City this week.

📃 Pete Carroll’s philosophy. The 74-year-old coach’s personal philosophy is “Always compete.” His right-hand man for 14 years, first with USC and then with the Seahawks, joined The Athletic to share how Carroll can help you understand yourself.

▶️ Yesterday’s most-clicked: The Athletic’s Ian O’Connor explains how one recovered fumble illustrated why no one wants to play the 1-2 Chiefs come playoff time.

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(Photo: Candice Ward / Getty Images)