Draft Buzz and ‘Coach-Speak’ Boost Ashton Jeanty’s Fantasy Football Stock

By Frankie Taddeo

Draft Buzz and ‘Coach-Speak’ Boost Ashton Jeanty’s Fantasy Football Stock

Draft rumors and “coach-speak” around Ashton Jeanty’s fantasy football value are fueling significant shifts in both betting markets and ADP ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.

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.

Raiders GM’s Comments Shift Jeanty’s Betting Odds

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. Probably whoever takes Ashton. I think he is motivated by fantasy football and touchdowns in fantasy football. Not necessarily all of the team building.
John Spytek

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 -150 at DraftKings Sportsbook (as of April 24, 2025).

Jeanty’s Fantasy Football Value Soars Amid Raiders Rumors

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 30s (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.

Could the Jets Snag Jeanty If the Raiders Pass?

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.

We have three running backs on this team that we’re gonna utilize as much as possible.
Aaron Glenn

As we highlighted last week, new Jets head coach Aaron Glenn recently told reporters the above, 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 16 days away from the best offseason event on the NFL calendar.