‘Coach-Speak’ Impacting Ashton Jeanty’s Fantasy Football Value
In this story:
As we get closer to this month’s NFL Draft, the buzz around trades and teams locking in their most coveted prospect targets is impacting both the fantasy football landscape as well as several popular betting markets.
Among the biggest rumors is the Las Vegas Raiders selecting former Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 overall pick. We previously highlighted back on March 4 that Jeanty was strongly linked by the experts in the desert to land with the Dallas Cowboys at odds of +260 in their initial offering.
Last week, while appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Raiders General Manager John Spytek shared that his 10-year-old son Jack’s draft wish for the Silver and Black is predicated upon fantasy football and touchdowns.
"My oldest son has made it no secret, if we do not pick Ashton Jeanty at six, that he is walking out of the family and he is gonna find somebody else," said Spytek. "Probably whoever takes Ashton. I think he is motivated by fantasy football and touchdowns in fantasy football. Not necessarily all of the team building."
.@Raiders GM John Spytek is no stranger to opinions on what to do with the No. 6 in the 2025 NFL Draft...
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) April 3, 2025
Especially those from his son 😂
📻 https://t.co/xM0RxQYoXW#Raiders | #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/dlWbsU6nxL
INTERVIEW MOVING BETTING MARKETS
While many around the sport have been quick to dismiss the interview --holding the belief that teams will never openly reveal their actual draft intentions publicly---oddsmakers are taking Spytek’s words seriously. Over the last several days, the Raiders, who were once offered as high as +450 to land Jeanty, are now the prohibitive favorite to land his services at -130 at DraftKings Sportsbook.
“COACH-SPEAK” HAS JEANTY’S ADP ON THE RISE
Fantasy football managers are jockeying to land the Maxwell and Doak Walker Award winner, who rushed for 4,769 rushing yards while scoring 56 total touchdowns in three seasons for the Broncos.
The prospect of landing in Sin City with the Raiders has resulted in the 2024 Heisman Trophy runner-up catapulting up to back-end RB1 status. With an overall ADP in the early 30’s (RB11-14) in early Fantasy Football World Championships (FFWC) drafts, it’s clear that managers are enamored with the projection of landing with a RB-needy Raiders offense.
Last season, Las Vegas’ woeful ground game ranked last in the league in rushing yards (1,357), yards per carry (3.6), and rushing first downs (78). Adding a player of Jeanty’s caliber would instantly improve a Raiders offense that recently acquired veteran quarterback Geno Smith.
FINAL TAKE
While my first instinct was to dismiss the story of Jack giving his dad an ultimatum that would actually impact the team’s draft strategy, it’s clear that the betting markets and fantasy community are taking it quite seriously.
On Sunday, ESPN’s Rich Cimini shared that if the Raiders were to pass on Jeanty he believes he wouldn’t last past the Jets at pick No. 7.
“It sounds like” Jets HC Aaron Glenn wants to shift to a RB committee, per @RichCimini
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) April 6, 2025
Cimini notes the Jets may be open to trading Breece Hall if Ashton Jeanty is available at 7th overall pic.twitter.com/oYOyEgq26u
As we highlighted last week, new Jets head coach Aaron Glenn recently told reporters, “we have three running backs on this team that we’re gonna utilize as much as possible,” referencing the talents of Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis. This was one of the reasons Hall now ranks as an overvalued, risky pick due to his running back ADP range of 6-10.
It would be shocking to see the Jets trade Hall in order to replace him with Jeanty in a three-man committee.
Things are only heating up as we are just 17 days away from the best offseason event on the NFL calendar.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
More Fantasy Football News:
Ashton Jeanty Headlines 2025 Fantasy Football Rankings
Travis Hunter NFL Draft Scouting Report & Fantasy Football Outlook
Former NFL OPOY Lands As Overvalued Fantasy Football Option In 2025
Frank Taddeo is a successful high-stakes fantasy football player who created the first-ever DFS program offered in a Las Vegas sportsbook. Besides contributing NFL fantasy analysis with a Vegas slant, Frank Taddeo primarily performs as On SI’s Senior Fantasy Analyst, providing his significant experience and resources in the sports world.