Las Vegas hits an East Coast test vs. New England in a game that could swing the Raiders’ season. Mostert is inactive, opening room for Jacobs to carry the load and potentially shift usage across the backfield. Terrell Edmunds is elevated to the gameday roster, a move Raiders coaches hope unlocks more versatility in coverage and run fits. Elandon Roberts spoke highly of Edmunds’ fit, underscoring a defense counting on growth in Week 3.

Fantasy takeaways center on Edmunds’ addition potentially sharpening the Raiders’ defense and on how Mostert’s absence reshapes opportunities. Jacobs should lead the backfield; White could see passing-down work. The Patriots pose a stern goal-line opponent, so expect Raiders’ defensive and special-teams chess moves to influence daily fantasy lines and DFS decisions.

Purdue has 14 alumni on NFL rosters for the 2025 season, led by George Karlaftis in Kansas City. Aidan O’Connell and Raheem Mostert link up for the Raiders, while Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Marcus Mbow may pair again with the Giants. Charlie Jones, Payne Durham, Derrick Barnes, Sanoussi Kane, Rondale Moore, David Bell, Cory Trice Jr., Jalen Graham, and Reese Taylor are scattered across the league, offering depth and late-round fantasy/IDP upside across Bengals, Buccaneers, Lions, Ravens, Vikings, Browns, Steelers, 49ers, Giants, and Broncos.

The Purdue pipeline continues to influence dynasty and streamer decisions, with injury notes, camp chatter, and depth-chart shifts shaping how owners value Purdue-affiliated players in the weeks ahead. Stakeholders should monitor IR statuses for O’Connell, backfield splits in Vegas, and Giants’ backfield competition as the season unfolds.

Ashton Jeanty headlines Week 1 with a projected three-down role and immediate Raiders RB1 status, a setup that fantasy managers should treat as a lineup-lock in all formats. The matchup against the New England Patriots adds a favorable tilt for Week 1, amplifying Jeanty’s appeal as a swift, workhorse back who should see heavy early-season volume.

Raheem Mostert is described as the veteran back providing a secondary path to usage, but his limited preseason workload and historical efficiency concerns keep Jeanty as the primary driver of Las Vegas’ ground game. Brock Bowers’ presence adds another top-tier offensive weapon, potentially lifting the entire Raiders offense while still leaving Jeanty with ample opportunities to produce RB1 numbers in Week 1 and beyond.

Raiders 53-man cuts reveal a CB-first, backfield-leaning approach. Greedy Vance Jr. was let go as Las Vegas bets on corner depth after Jakorian Bennett’s trade, while Sincere McCormick lands as the odd man out behind Zamir White, Ashton Jeanty, and Raheem Mostert. Ashton Jeanty’s rise and Mostert’s addition sharpen the backfield mix. In the secondary, Lonnie Johnson’s return from injury and Terrell Edmunds’ late addition shape defensive versatility, with Zach Carter exiting as the interior DL rotation remains crowded.

On the fantasy side, expect CB competition to drive waiver wire activity, plus a committee backfield that limits Week-to-Week certainty. The defensive line depth hints at more frontline pressure schemes, while the safety hybrid roles could tweak coverage packages. Monitor how the Raiders deploy Edmunds/Adams and which DTs rise to the occasion as the season unfolds.

A quartet of rookie running backs battles for fantasy relevance in 2025, and the path to weekly touches looks distinctly clear for Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton, RJ Harvey, and Kaleb Johnson. Jeanty lands with Las Vegas, stepping into a Raiders backfield that could lean heavily on a dynamic rookie if training-camp chatter proves true. Hampton lands in Los Angeles with the Chargers, where a multi-faceted backfield could still offer a high-end RB2 ceiling. Harvey lands in Denver with the Broncos, where he’ll compete for touches in a familiar land of high-volume rushing when the offense clicks. Johnson lands in Pittsburgh, where the Steelers’ run game could lean on a bruiser who can punch in goal-line opportunities. Even with floor-raising competition, each rookie carries a plausible route to meaningful fantasy production in 2025.

Across the board, the rookies are positioned to maximize upside in flexible formats, with Jeanty highlighted as a potential year-one feature back in a run-focused Raiders attack; Hampton as a high-upside RB2 in a Chargers system that blends explosiveness and receiving aptitude; Harvey as a credible RB2 with receiving upside in a Broncos scheme that has shown patience with backs who can catch; and Johnson as a 850+ yard, eight-TD type talent who could push for lead-back duties in Pittsburgh’s short-yardage role. Draft whispers and camp chatter align with a broader fantasy trend: rookies who land in flexible, high-volume offenses can become league-winners even if early-season workload is capped.

Rookies aren’t a guaranteed path to RB1 glory, but the 2024 season’s breakout classmates—Thomas Jr., Bowers, and Daniels—set a blueprint: frequent touches, a role that expands as the year progresses, and a receiving game component that can anchor a fantasy manager’s floor. Jeanty, Hampton, Harvey, and Johnson each offer distinct avenues to top-5 or top-12 fantasy output in 2025, making late-round targets with real upside appealing for managers aiming to unlock a surprise breakout during the season.