Las Vegas Raiders

Ashton Jeanty

RB

Jeanty cleared up any concern about his availability for the opener by turning in a full practice Wednesday, two and a half weeks after he sustained what initially appeared to be a serious-looking ankle injury during an Aug. 23 training camp session. The running back practiced again Thursday, and barring any setbacks, he'll draw the Week 1 start for the Raiders. However, because of the amount of workouts Jeanty missed late in camp while recovering from the ankle injury, the Raiders could look to manage his workload to some degree in the opener and open up more reps for rookie Mike Washington, per Dan Graziano of ESPN.com.

Mike Washington Jr.

RB

Washington impressed the Raiders' coaching staff in the preseason, during which the rookie fourth-round pick rushed for 168 yards on 23 carries across three games, averaging a robust 7.3 YPC. Jeanty has returned to full practice participation in the week leading up to Sunday's regular-season opener against the Dolphins, but the 2025 first-round pick missed a chunk of practice time due to the ankle injury he suffered Aug. 23. With Jeanty still shaking off the cobwebs, Washington is primed for some added opportunities in his regular-season debut as the Raiders face the Dolphins in a battle between two teams expected to finish near the bottom of the standings this season.

Treydan Stukes

S

The rookie second-rounder is slated to start alongside fellow safety Jeremy Chinn in the secondary, with Isaiah Pola-Mao, Dalton Johnson and Tristin McCollum providing depth at the position. Stukes put together a strong training camp and finished the preseason with 10 tackles (five solo) across three games. He'll be part of a defensive unit that was middle-of-the-pack in passing yards allowed per game (201.0) during the 2025 regular season.

Michael Mayer

TE

Bowers missed five games in 2025 due to a PCL injury and bone bruise in his left knee, and Mayer suited up in four of those contests and logged 90-plus-percent snap shares in all of them. In those four games, Mayer put together an 18-196-1 receiving line on 24 targets, a level of production that could make him an appealing lineup option in both DFS and season-long leagues in Week 1.

Brock Bowers

TE

When asked if an absence of 1-to-2 games was an accurate expectation, Kubiak replied, "I'm not going to talk about timelines," per Sam Warren of The Athletic. All eyes will be on Bowers' practice participation (or lack thereof) next week. For now, the Raiders have Michael Mayer ticketed for a large role at tight end, with Ian Thomas and various WRs also in the mix to pick up some unexpected snaps in Bowers' absence this Sunday against the Dolphins.