Fantasy football tips: Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty slides in high-stakes drafts

Todd Dewey, Las Vegas Review-Journal on Aug 16, 2025

Published in Football

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

LAS VEGAS — High-stakes fantasy football players had great expectations for Raiders rookie running back Ashton Jeanty.

But all it took was one preseason game, and -1 rushing yards for Jeanty (on three carries) in a 23-23 tie with the Seahawks on Aug. 7, to alter their outlook.

“Jeanty had been consistently going in the middle of the first round and, this is a classic example of people just panicking and overreacting after the first preseason game, now he’s dropped to the middle and late second round in our drafts,” FullTime Fantasy founder Ian Ritchie said. “It’s funny because before I thought he was going too high. I wouldn’t have taken him in front of (Eagles running back Saquon) Barkley and (Ravens running back Derrick) Henry. But now it’s more reasonable.”

Ritchie was the first contestant to register for the $100,000-entry Circa Grandissimo high-roller Survivor contest under “Icon Racing,” a horse-racing ownership group led by former MLB player Jayson Werth. Ritchie will be hosting fantasy drafts at Circa (CircaDraftSeries.com) through the opening weekend of the NFL season.

The Fantasy Football World Championships have a $1,950 entry fee, $12,000 in league prizes and a $150,000 grand prize. The Las Vegas Fantasy Championships have a $350 entry fee, $2,500 in league prizes and a $50,000 grand prize.

Circa also will host a Women of Fantasy Football Series with a $99 entry fee that includes four days of activities from Tuesday through Friday at the downtown Las Vegas hotel.

Top draft picks

Ritchie, formerly the world’s top-ranked high-stakes fantasy football player, shared other insights from their high-stakes drafts, starting with the top picks.

“Our guys are a little higher on (Falcons running back) Bijan Robinson. He’s been going one or two in our drafts,” Ritchie said. “But honestly, if I have the first pick, I would have a tough time with that because (Bengals wide receiver) Ja’Marr Chase is just ridiculous.”

Chase went first in their latest draft, followed by Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, Robinson and Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs.

“Then it gets goofy,” Ritchie said. “It went (Cowboys wide receiver) CeeDee Lamb, (Jaguars wide receiver) Brian Thomas Jr., Barkley, (Giants wide receiver) Malik Nabers, (Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St.) Brown, (Rams wide receiver Puka) Nacua, (Texans wide receiver) Nico (Collins).

“The surprise guy who snuck back in the first round of our drafts is (49ers running back) Christian McCaffrey. He’s fallen to the end of the first round like Barkley did last year. If he stays healthy, he has the potential to be the No. 1 back this year.”

Breakouts, sleepers

Chargers rookie running back Omarion Hampton was a candidate to surprise this season before fellow running back Najee Harris participated in training camp for the first time this week after suffering an eye injury in a July 4 fireworks mishap.

“They love the Chargers running the football and a lot of guys are really high on Hampton,” Ritchie said. “He’s been going second and third round in our drafts, which is a lot earlier than a lot of the home leagues.”

Bengals running back Chase Brown is another potential breakout candidate.

“Most of our guys look at him as a 20-point a week guy,” Ritchie said. “He’s been going early second round in a lot of drafts.”

Three popular sleepers are Bears running back D’Andre Swift, 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall and Panthers rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.

Ritchie noted that Swift has never finished outside the top 24 running backs in fantasy points. Swift is also being reunited with Bears coach Ben Johnson, his former offensive coordinator with the Lions.

“A lot of high-stakes guys think D’Andre Swift has real upside this year into being a top-10 back,” Ritchie said. “A lot of guys are also taking a real upside shot on Tet McMillan as that third receiver. He’s a big riser on the sleeper board.”

Chief concerns, busts

Ritchie said Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce have fallen out of the top five at their positions in the draft.

“The narrative people try to portray is that Mahomes is back with a chip on his shoulder and Kelce came back and he’s in incredible shape,” Ritchie said. “I think that’s a really positive spin. The high-stakes guys aren’t buying it.”

They’re also not buying that Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving will build on his impressive rookie season.

“(Running back) Rachaad White is still there and they’ve been very vocal about (running back) Sean Tucker being part of the rotation more this year,” Ritchie said. “If that’s the case, that takes goal-line carries and other stuff from Bucky Irving.

“The two big busts so far who a lot of the high-stakes guys are off are Bucky Irving and (Jets running back) Breece Hall.”