We saw some funky usage in the Raiders backfield in Thursday night's Hall of Fame game. QB Derek Carr, WR Davante Adams and TE Darren Waller got the night off, but RB Josh Jacobs played the first 2 series, tallying 5 carries and 2 targets. "I always think it's good for (running) backs to carry the ball in the preseason," HC Josh McDaniels said afterward. “There’s a lot of things that happen when you’re getting tackled and hit that you can’t simulate in practice." Ameer Abdullah and Zamir White were the next 2 RBs in the game for the Raiders -- then came Kenyan Drake. We're not going to read too much into any of this just yet, but we're definitely keeping a closer eye on this backfield going forward.

Raiders RB Josh Jacobs ran the ball 17 times for 62 rushing yards in Week 3’s loss vs. the Steelers. He also added 3 catches on 5 targets for 18 yards and a score as a receiver in the game. There’s still a lot left to be desired from last season’s rushing yardage champion, though Jacobs is turning a corner here. His 80 total yards are the highest mark he’s recorded thus far in 2023. We’ll see if he can make good on these strides in Week 4 vs. the Chargers.

Raiders RB Josh Jacobs finished Week 3 with 9 carries for -2 yards. Per Elias Sports, it's the first time since the merger a reigning rushing champ finished a game with negative rushing yards. His fantasy points turned out OK thanks to a 5-51 receiving line, aided by a big Raiders deficit. Ultimately, a Bills blowout win was always a real possibility. Jacobs should bounce back next Sunday night against a Pittsburgh squad minus DL Cam Heyward.

Raiders RB Josh Jacobs did not have a big fantasy day in the Week 1 win over Denver, totaling 71 scoreless yards. But he remained a workhorse, despite re-joining the team just about two weeks ago. Jacobs handled 19 of Vegas' 20 RB carries and three of the five RB targets. His 88% share of his team's backfield opportunities (carries + targets) is the second highest on the week through the Sunday afternoon games. If this type of usage holds -- and we think it will -- Jacobs will have no problem scoring as a RB1. Week 2 brings a tough spot in Buffalo, but Jacobs' volume should keep him in fantasy lineups.

The Raiders and RB Josh Jacobs have agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $12 million, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. It's the same thing RB Saquon Barkley got from the Giants. Each RB was limited in what he could get once the July deadline passed for franchise-tagged players to sign long-term contracts. This new pact brings Jacobs back with still more than two weeks before the regular-season opener. We'll see how quickly Jacobs' ADP rebounds. He has commonly been going in Round 3 of recent drafts. He's certainly a nice value in that range and can make sense anywhere from the second half of Round 2 on -- depending on your format. Jacobs never moved much in our fantasy football rankings this summer.

Insider Josina Anderson reports that the Raiders are "open to restarting talks with RB Josh Jacobs, with the hopes of getting him to rejoin the team, which still remains the goal for the organization." RB Saquon Barkley's one-year deal with the Giants should help lay some groundwork for an agreement between Jacobs and the Raiders. We're still not projecting him to sit out any regular-season games.