Kaytron Allen

Kaytron Allen News

Kaytron Allen Given Large Workload in Preseason Debut

Washington Commanders running back Kaytron Allen tallied 23 carries, 85 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown during Friday's preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins. He also converted one of his two targets for a one-yard reception. Allen, a sixth-round pick out of Penn State, is presumably competing for the No. 3 role behind Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White and ahead of Jeremy McNichols. More importantly, Allen could be proving to the coaching staff that he deserves consistent touches once the regular season comes around. There's not much pass-catching upside here, but it wouldn't be crazy to say that Allen could become the primary ball-carrier if Croskey-Merritt goes down, while White remains in more of a receiving role. Allen's big preseason showing makes him an instant riser in dynasty leagues, and he could even sneak onto the fantasy radar as an option in the deepest of redraft formats.

Aug 14, 2026 6:31 PM EST

Kaytron Allen Stacking Days in Padded Practices

With the Washington Commanders into their second week of training camp and practices reaching a heightened level of physicality, rookie running back Kaytron Allen has received regular call-outs from the local beat. Recently described as a bowling ball, the 219-pound Allen has shown an early ability to fight for extra yards, and while Commanders senior writer Zach Selby believes he could end up as the team's short-yardage option, on Saturday it was his underrated burst that stood out as he found a crease during team drills and housed a long touchdown run. While uncommon for sixth-round rookies to make an immediate impact, Allen has routinely found ways to flash, and if he can claim the bulk of the team's goal-line work, he could prove to have surprising fantasy value in year one.

Aug 9, 2026 6:25 AM EST

Kaytron Allen Needs a Preseason Push to Earn Redraft Value

Washington Commanders running back Kaytron Allen has a clear selling point. The sixth-round rookie left Penn State as the program's career rushing leader with 4,180 yards and 39 touchdowns, and Washington drafted him to handle the kind of physical, short-yardage work that can keep drives alive. The fit is easy to understand. The role is not. Jacory Croskey-Merritt rushed for 805 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie, then caught all three of his targets during what the team called his best practice of camp. Rachaad White broke a long outside run in the first padded session and remains the most accomplished receiver in the group. Jeremy McNichols, Jerome Ford, and Robert Henry Jr. are still around as well. RotoBaller has Allen at RB55 in PPR, RB58 in half-PPR, and RB8 among rookie backs. His quickest route to fantasy value is winning the goal-line job, but Washington has not handed it to him. Allen remains a worthwhile dynasty stash because the room could open quickly. Redraft managers should wait for the preseason to show whether he has a real weekly role.

Aug 4, 2026 11:37 AM EST

Kaytron Allen a Late-Round Dart Throw from an Unsettled Running Back Room

Washington Commanders rookie running back Kaytron Allen is the all-time leading rusher for the Penn State Nittany Lions, and when the Commanders gather for training camp at the end of the month, he'll have the opportunity to carve out a role in a room led by Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White. Croskey-Merritt's 805 rushing yards and eight touchdowns led the team in 2025, while White signed a one-year deal through free agency after four up-and-down seasons with the Buccaneers. A lack of standout features allowed Allen to slip to the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, but his proven production and a landing spot on what could ultimately still prove to be a wide-open depth chart made him an intriguing late-round flier in dynasty rookie drafts and give him a similar appeal in redraft leagues. If Allen can find meaningful work around the goal line, he'll have the opportunity to return value from his current ranking as RotoBaller's RB55.

Jul 19, 2026 5:13 AM EST

Is Kaytron Allen Currently Undervalued in Redraft Leagues?

Washington Commanders rookie running back Kaytron Allen was one of the more productive running backs in college football during his time at Penn State, recording over 2,600 scrimmage yards and 25 touchdowns over his final two seasons for the Nittany Lions. However, Allen fell to the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Despite the draft day slide, Allen could have a chance to earn consistent playing time in the Commanders' backfield as a rookie. Between Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White, Jeremy McNichols, and Jerome Ford, Washington has several capable backs for Allen to compete with. However, none of the Commanders' rushers other than Croskey-Merritt and Allen profiles as particularly high upside options. Allen's fantasy profile comes with some risk, as there's a chance he falls out of the Washington backfield rotation completely. However, the current lack of an obvious RB1 for the Commanders makes Allen an appealing dart-throw in the late rounds of redraft leagues.

Jun 26, 2026 9:00 AM EST

Kaytron Allen in the Right Situation to Overcome Poor Draft Capital?

With rookie running back Kaytron Allen lasting all the way to pick number 187 of the 2026 NFL Draft before the Washington Commanders selected him in the sixth round, he landed in as ideal a situation as can be found for a late-Day 3 pick. No running back on the roster handled more than 37% of their team's carries last season, with the Commanders' leading rusher, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, himself a seventh-round pick in 2025. No stranger to working in a committee, Allen set the all-time Penn State rushing record while playing all four of his collegiate seasons alongside 2026 fifth-round pick Nicholas Singleton. In Washington, he will be battling veteran Jeremy McNichols for the third spot in a rotation alongside Croskey-Merritt and free agent signee Rachaad White, and with White potentially making McNichols' pass-catching role redundant, the edge could go to the rookie. At RotoBaller's dynasty RB40, Allen is not a flashy pick in the middle rounds of rookie-only drafts, but he has one of the clearer paths to immediate fantasy relevance, which is not a luxury to be overlooked in a generally unexciting draft class.

Jun 3, 2026 5:33 AM EST

Commanders Add Running Back Competition with Kaytron Allen at Pick No. 187

The Washington Commanders have selected Penn State running back Kaytron Allen with the 187th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Washington was one of the teams linked to Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love at the top of the first round, but instead, they addressed the position 180 picks later with the big-bodied Nittany Lion. For four seasons, Allen shared Penn State's backfield with Nicholas Singleton, who went to the Titans in the 5th round. Without possessing the speed or natural athleticism of Singleton, Allen leaned on his vision and physicality to make him the school's all-time leading rusher. He regularly got stronger late in games, leading the FBS with 8.2 yards per carry in the fourth quarter as a senior. In a room featuring Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White, and Jerome Ford, Allen has both the experience and ability to earn a meaningful role out of the gate.

Apr 25, 2026 1:30 PM EST