Updated

Updated · CBS Sports · Nov 3

Mike Washington Jr. Tops Week 9 Waiver Adds After Raiders Give Him 60% Snap Share

Updated

Updated · CBS Sports · Nov 3

Mike Washington Jr. Tops Week 9 Waiver Adds After Raiders Give Him 60% Snap Share

Q: How much of your remaining FAAB should you actually risk on an explosive but unproven wildcard like Mike Washington Jr.?

For Mike Washington Jr., a sensible bid is usually around 20% to 30% of your remaining FAAB, and closer to 30% if you are thin at running back or desperate for an immediate starter. The case for being aggressive is real. Washington just took over the Raiders’ backfield in Week 8, handling 25 carries and 60% of the snaps while Ashton Jeanty fell to a smaller role. Multiple waiver analysts now treat him as the top running back add of the week, with several suggested bids clustering near $29 out of $100. The upside is clear: he has flashed explosiveness in limited work, including a long touchdown earlier this season, and the Raiders’ staff has openly praised his progress. The caution is just as important. His Week 8 efficiency was ordinary, the Raiders’ run blocking remains shaky, and coach Klint Kubiak has warned that the workload could remain fluid. Jeanty also still has a pass-game role, which caps Washington’s floor if this turns into a split backfield rather than a true takeover. That uncertainty argues against an all-in bid unless your roster situation forces it. In practical terms, strong teams with decent RB depth can stay in the 15% to 22% range. Managers who badly need a starter can justify 25% to 35%. Going above that only makes sense in deeper leagues, RB-premium formats, or if you believe Jeanty’s injury and declining usage point to a lasting changing of the guard.

Q: Following Jayden Reed's severe injury, which unexpected Green Bay playmaker will emerge as the ultimate red-zone league-winner?

Tucker Kraft looks like the most likely Green Bay red-zone league-winner if Jayden Reed misses extended time. The strongest evidence is in the injury-related fantasy guidance itself, which says Reed’s serious neck injury opens more work for Matthew Golden, Christian Watson and Kraft, with Kraft specifically becoming a “must-start red-zone option.” That is the clearest direct answer tied to Reed’s absence. Kraft’s usage supports it. Through Week 8, he had 49 targets, a 16.2% team target share, and a 35-350-3 receiving line. He has also produced at least five catches in four of his last five games and scored in back-to-back outings. For fantasy purposes, that combination of steady volume and end-zone involvement is more valuable than a pure boom-or-bust profile. Golden and Watson will still matter. Golden leads the Packers in target share at 27.2% and has already flashed downfield and near the goal line, including touchdown production with Jordan Love. Watson remains the explosive big-play threat and has shown he can break games open. But when the question is who becomes the unexpected red-zone finisher after Reed’s injury, Kraft stands out because he offers the most bankable touchdown role close to the goal line. So the smart fantasy read is this: Golden may lead in overall targets, Watson may deliver splash plays, but Kraft is the best bet to emerge as Green Bay’s top red-zone answer.

Q: Can Marcus Mariota truly sustain Washington's offense, or is trusting him a massive trap for desperate fantasy managers?

Marcus Mariota can keep Washington functional for fantasy, but trusting him as more than a short-term, format-dependent starter is risky. The case for him is real. Jayden Daniels is out with a dislocated elbow and Washington expects Mariota to start at least in the near term. In relief against Dallas, he went 11-for-16 for 111 yards and a touchdown, and coaches and teammates have stressed that he knows the system well and keeps the offense calm. That matters because he is not stepping into a new job cold; he has already made eight starts for Washington last season and has shown he can deliver usable fantasy lines, especially when his rushing ability supplements modest passing volume. That said, the ceiling is limited. Mariota is better viewed as a stabilizer than an engine. Even the pro-Mariota fantasy analysis points to him as a fringe top-20 quarterback and a safer floor play rather than a high-upside breakout. Washington’s offense loses some explosiveness without Daniels, and Mariota’s own recent production profile suggests spot-start value, not sustained QB1 reliability. For fantasy managers, that makes him useful mainly in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues, and a reasonable one-week streamer if options are thin and the matchup cooperates. In standard one-quarterback leagues, he is more of a desperation add than a priority over stronger waiver targets like Malik Willis or Bo Nix. The trap is not adding him; the trap is expecting him to carry your lineup.

3 articles · Updated · CBS Sports · Nov 3

Mike Washington Jr. emerged as the top Week 9 waiver pickup after Las Vegas used him ahead of Ashton Jeanty in Week 8, giving the rookie 25 carries and 60% of snaps.
That backfield shift leads a waiver week shaped by injuries and lineup uncertainty, with Devin Singletary, Tyler Allgeier and Seth McGowan gaining value from health concerns and trade speculation.
At quarterback, Malik Willis and Bo Nix headline adds after back-to-back productive games, while Gardner Minshew also enters the mix after Arizona named him its Week 9 starter.
Antonio Williams, Makai Lemon, Greg Dulcich and Mike Gesicki round out the priority targets as byes for Pittsburgh and Tennessee and multiple injuries force fantasy managers to spend FAAB aggressively.