Fantasy Football: 8 Late-Round Lottery Tickets for 2017
DeAndre Washington, RB, Oakland Raiders
Average Draft Position: 14.03 (RB67)
The biggest road block to playing time for DeAndre Washington is a guy in his age-31 season who spent last year handing out Skittles in Scotland. I'm sold.
With Marshawn Lynch now being the top back for the Oakland Raiders, the incentive to pluck away at his backups should be obvious. The Raiders have the league's seventh-best offensive line, according to Pro Football Focus, meaning whoever sees volume should be able to pump out some efficiency. Having Derek Carr -- who finished last year ninth in Passing NEP per drop back -- certainly doesn't hurt matters, either. We want exposure to this backfield in case Lynch can't meet expectations.
All of that said, it's not a lock that Washington ends up being the guy to target. They've got Jalen Richard and Elijah Hood in town, too, so there's competition even for Lynch's potential successor. But it does seem as if Washington has a leg up.
One thing that is flying under radar: Washington getting all second-team RB reps over Richard
— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) August 4, 2017
The Raiders did list Richard ahead of Washington on their initial depth chart, but the practice reps would seem to speak more clearly. Right now, Washington's the guy we want here.
Given how many things are working in their favor, you're going to want pieces of this backfield in your drafts. If you miss out on Lynch, snag Washington. If you can't get him, then throw a dart at Richard or Hood. But the guy with the best cost relative to his potential now is Washington, making him the ideal lotto ticket.
