The Las Vegas Raiders will likely be without their two top running backs Sunday, as Alexander Mattison (ankle) and Zamir White (quad) are doubtful to play against the Denver Broncos, coach Antonio Pierce said Friday.
Granted, the Raiders are last in the league in rushing, but some poor fantasy soul out there will be adding Ameer Abdullah to their roster.
Abdullah, a 10-year veteran, has 82 yards rushing on 17 carries on the season. He also has 17 receptions for 76 yards and scored on a 10-yard catch last week against the Miami Dolphins. Rookie Dylan Laube and second-year player Sincere McCormick would back Abdullah up.
“I’m ready,” Abdullah said Wednesday. “I consider myself the best back on this team, like every back does, and this is my opportunity to go out there and put my best foot forward.”
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Abdullah rushed for a career-high 597 yards in 2015, his rookie season with the Detroit Lions. With the Carolina Panthers in 2021, he established personal bests in receptions (35) and receiving yards (272). Abdullah’s best overall season came in 2017, when he had 552 rushing yards, 162 receiving yards and five total touchdowns for the Detroit Lions. He has long been a reliable pass-catching option out of the backfield during his time in the league with four teams — the Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Panthers and Raiders.
The Raiders will also be without cornerbacks Jakorian Bennett (shoulder) and Nate Hobbs (ankle), while Jack Jones (back) returned to practice on Friday after missing sessions on Wednesday and Thursday. Center Andre James (ankle) has returned to practice this week but has seemingly lost his starting job to rookie Jackson Powers-Johnson.
Required Reading
- Baby steps with new offensive staff aren’t enough to avoid sixth straight loss
- Can the Raiders get the QB they need in the 2025 NFL Draft?
- How did the Raiders roster get so bad? A series of unfortunate events
(Photo: Matthew Stockman / Getty Images)
