DeAndre Washington

Heading into the final leg of his four-year rookie contract, Washington's 2019 projection isn't too promising after he notched just 124 yards from scrimmage on 31 touches in 10 contests last season. Not only has Jalen Richard emerged as a pass-catching weapon out of the backfield, but the Raiders also spent the 24th overall draft pick on Alabama product Josh Jacobs. The latter is on track to handle a majority of the early-down work right out of the gate, and Oakland was essentially forced into re-signing veteran Doug Martin after a season-ending torn Achilles suffered by Isaiah Crowell.

Washington struggled to separate from Jalen Richard as the primary backup behind starter Marshawn Lynch in 2017, as the former averaged just 2.7 yards per carry and totaled 350 yards from scrimmage. The Raiders added another veteran piece to their backfield this offseason to complement the 32-year-old Lynch, signing former Buccaneer Doug Martin in free agency. With a bit of uncertainty regarding the rotation at running back under new coach Jon Gruden, Washington's fantasy value remains limited to deeper leagues as draft season approaches.

A 2016 fifth-round pick out of Texas Tech, Washington proved to be a dangerous complement to Latavius Murray, exploding for seven gains of 20 yards or more on only 87 carries -- a rate that ranked fifth in the NFL. Unfortunately for Washington, fellow undersized rookie Jalen Richard had a similar skill set, which resulted in the two cannibalizing each other's opportunities as the Raiders' twin lead backs when Murray was hurt. Recognizing the need for a big, physical runner to protect their two electric scatbacks, Oakland convinced Marshawn Lynch to come out of retirement and replace Murray at the top of the depth chart. While that limits Washington's potential production, he does still have room for growth. After catching over 100 passes in his final three seasons in college, he saw only 23 targets in 2016.

Washington was a four-year playmaker at Texas Tech, though his 5-8, 200-pound frame put a cap in his theoretical touch upside. Washington also has small hands for the position, which lead to occasional bouts with dropped passes and fumbles. Nonetheless, the Raiders snagged him with a fifth-round selection, and the team’s depth chart is notably thin after Latavius Murray. And it’s not like Murray has an absolute hammerlock on the starting gig after an up-and-down 2015. It makes sense to play a hedge somewhere in this backfield, with Washington the logical place to start.