Yes — he's exactly the type of late-round handcuff worth grabbing, especially right now. Here's the situation:
- Why he's valuable: Jeanty sprained his ankle on Aug 23. It's not considered serious, but Rapoport says "there is a chance that Ashton Jeanty may not be on the field for Week 1." If Jeanty misses time, Washington Jr. is the clear lead back — he's already the locked-in RB2 with 100+ rushing yards across two preseason games (from the Mike Washington Jr. page).
- The ceiling caveat: Jeanty is expected back sooner than initially feared, which "limits Washington Jr.'s ceiling once Jeanty returns." Even when healthy, Kubiak's system projects a 70/30 or 65/35 split in Jeanty's favor, so Washington Jr. is more of an insurance play / bye-week filler than a standalone RB (from the Jeanty and Washington Jr. pages).
Expert voices back this up:
- On FantasyPros' mock draft: "I look at both those guys [Marshon Lloyd and Mike Washington Jr.] as the clear and definitive handcuffs for their offenses." —
- Ron Stewart noted he "moved [Washington] up 25 spots" on the back of handcuff upside. —
Bottom line: draft him with a late-round pick as Jeanty insurance — cheapest path to a Week 1 lead back if the ankle lingers. Just know his value evaporates (mostly) once Jeanty is healthy.