2024 Las Vegas Raiders Fantasy Preview

Rumors ahead of the 2024 NFL draft speculated that new head coach Antonio Pierce and the Las Vegas Raiders were in the market for a rookie quarterback after experimenting with Jimmy Garappolo and Aiden O’Connell last season. Unfortunately, they were unable to land the targets in which they coveted. Fortunately, though, they brought in a quarterback via free agency who has plenty of what Pierce is looking for in Gardner Minshew.

Wherever Minshew goes, a rookie quarterback is sure to follow. Last year, the Colts drafted Anthony Richardson after signing Minshew. Technically, Jalen Hurts was an Eagle before Minshew, but the Jaguars did draft Trevor Lawrence to replace Minshew in Jacksonville.

Minshew needs to get the credit he deserves. In 37 career starts, over 49 games played, he has thrown more touchdown passes (59) and fewer interceptions (24) than the generational Trevor Lawrence. That is the kind of production from the quarterback position Davante Adams was not getting from Garappolo or O’Connell last season.

Regardless of whoever lines up under center, Adams is a wide receiver you can trust when selecting at the start of the second round of your fantasy drafts. While the 31-year-old receiver is entering his 11th season, he is still producing. Adams has posted five 1000-yard seasons over the last six years, including 1,144 yards on 103 receptions in 2023. All that production resulted in a fantasy WR11 fantasy finish a season ago.

After Adams, it becomes interesting. Jakobi Meyers had some excellent fantasy value as a flex option heading into the draft. However, the Raiders’ selection of Georgia tight end Brock Bowers puts a cap on Meyers’ fantasy potential entering the 2024 season. Last year, Meyers averaged 13.1 fantasy points per game. But with Bowers’ ability to play in the slot, it’s hard to envision Meyers having that kind of success when asked to line out wide.

Bowers will likely be better for the Raiders than he will for your fantasy teams. In three seasons at Georgia, he finished with 2,538 yards and 26 touchdowns on 175 passes. Bowers is an excellent complement for Adams, as he finished last season with 56 receptions, six touchdowns, and 714 yards after returning in October from ankle surgery.

RB Zamir White finds himself well-positioned to have a top-15-caliber season at the running back position. From weeks 15 through 18, White would average 23.3 touches while churning out 114.3 per game, finishing as the RB12 in fantasy over that stretch. White also would finish sixth in yards after contact per attempt, 13th in explosive run rate, and 17th in success rate. White is an intriguing mid-round target.

Quarterbacks

QB GARDNER MINSHEW – BYE WEEK FILL-IN

The Raiders plan to have Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell compete for the team’s starting role this summer. “That’s the plan, to have both those guys really compete through the offseason program, but more so in training camp, and we’ll see how it plays out,” said GM Tom Telesco. Minshew is considered the favorite to win that role. He was slightly more effective than O’Connell and signed the contract of a player expected to start. Regardless of who wins, Las Vegas will be a run-first offense under Antonio Pierce and Luke Getsy. The Raiders QB spot should be avoided until there is some clarity. ADVICE: Only draftable in deep Superflex leagues.

QB AIDAN O’CONNELL – LOW POTENTIAL

ADVICE: O’Connell passing metrics were very similar to Gardner Minshew last season. He’ll be given every opportunity to beat out the newcomer in the preseason. The ceiling isn’t very high, but whoever wins the Raiders’ starting job can be a weekly streamer…

 

Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 15

Easton Stick vs. Aidan O’Connell. This is, uh…., not what we signed up for. After 14 up-and-down Thursday contests, this week’s offering is the NFL version of going through the motions. It is what it is. Regardless, the FullTime Fantasy Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 15 breaks down this week’s contest from a fantasy and sports betting perspective.

After losing Justin Herbert for the rest of the season, the Chargers are now riding out the clock. A new regime now seems inevitable for Los Angeles. Additionally, Easton Stick will make his first NFL start on streaming TV against an equally moribund Raiders franchise.

As for Vegas, they hit rock bottom last week, losing their third consecutive game by a paltry 3-0 score. Both teams sit at 5-8 in the mediocre AFC West.

However, on the bright side, there’s no way these two teams will score fewer points than last week. Right?

The Chargers opened as 3-point favorites. However, when news of Herbert’s season-ending injury hit, the line shifted oppositely. Las Vegas now stands as a field-goal favorite. Conversely, the total plummeted 8.5 points from its opening of 42.

Matchup 

TEAM	OFFENSE	PASS	RUSH	YDS/PLAY	POINTS
Los Angeles Chargers	17	10	26	14	16
Las Vegas Raiders	29	22	32	26	28

Both of these teams have faced more than their fair share of adversity.

Brandon Staley faces a lot of scrutiny as the Chargers have been one of the most under-achieving teams in the AFC. The addition of offensive coordinator Keelen Moore from Dallas has not panned out as expected. The Chargers have been an average offense that will surely plummet without Herbert under center.

Meanwhile, the Raiders have a brief resurgence under interim head coach Antonio Pierce. However, after three consecutive defeats with three total touchdowns scored, that success is a distant memory.

Las Vegas has rushed for an NFL-worst 1,048 yards. A struggling offensive line plays a big part in the struggles. But making matters worse, the Raiders will be without star RB Josh Jacobs, who will miss this game with a quad injury.

Las Vegas Offense

Further hampering the offense is QB Aidan O’Connell. The fourth-round rookie has thrown just four touchdowns in seven games…

How will Thursday’s Chargers vs. Raiders game go?

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2023 Las Vegas Raiders Outlook

The 2023 NFL season is right around the corner and that means fantasy football drafts are underway. Before you assemble your championship dynasty, redraft, or high-stakes squad, FullTime Fantasy members will have an in-depth, player-by-player preview of all 32 teams from football legend Shawn Childs.

Also, check out Jody Smith’s NFL offensive line rankings and exclusive 2023 Strength of Schedule analysis.

Up next in our extensive NFL and fantasy football preview series is Shawn’s deep dive into the 2023 Las Vegas Raiders Outlook.

— Quarterback —

Jimmy Garoppolo

In 2021, Garoppolo finished the season with strength in his completion rate (68.3) and yards per pass attempt (8.6). Over his final nine games (including the postseason), Garoppolo passed for 2,233 yards (248 per game) with only 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. In the playoffs, Garoppolo gained 540 yards in three matchups with two touchdowns and three interceptions. His completion rate (58.1) was a sign that his shoulder wasn’t healthy, leading to surgery in March of 2022. When at his best, he passed for over 300 yards in five contests while failing to deliver more than two scores in any game.

A season-ending injury to Trey Lance in the second game of last season gave Garoppolo the starting quarterback job for the 49ers. From Week 3 to Week 12, he passed for 2,227 yards over nine games with 15 touchdowns and four interceptions. His best output came in three contests (307/2, 305/2, and 225/4) while adding 19 rushes for 28 yards and one score over this span. Unfortunately, Garoppolo saw his season end in Week 13 due to a broken left foot. He has been a winning quarterback (40-17) for the Patriots and 49ers in the regular season, with success in the postseason (4-2).

Las Vegas signed Garoppolo in March for three seasons ($72.75 million) before having surgery on his left foot. If his healing process doesn’t progress as planned, the Raiders could release him without financial responsibility. 

Fantasy Outlook: During his time in the NFL, Garoppolo played for two winning franchises. However, he has only once (2019) kept the job for an entire season. He has plenty of passing weapons with a top chain moving back, but Garoppolo will have a smaller window to throw the ball in 2023. In the early draft season in the high-stakes market, he ranks as a waiver-wire QB3. At best, a game manager with a chance at 4,000 passing yards and 25 touchdowns if Garoppolo can stay upright for 17 games.

Aidan O’Connell

Over 33 games at Purdue, O’Connell completed two-thirds of his passes for 9,218 yards with 65 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. His best year came in 2021 (3,711/28). He brings no value to the run game besides the occasional score and short runs for first downs.

Fantasy Outlook: O’Connell will compete for the backup quarterback job for the Raiders in 2023. Brian Hoyer has experience in this system, making the logical choice to get the first chance to start if Jimmy Garoppolo has an injury.

Other Options: Brian Hoyer, Chase Garbers

— Running Backs —

The outlier in the running back stats over the past three seasons for the Raiders has to be the yards per rush (4.8) achieved in 2022. Over the previous two years, Las Vegas gained 4.11 and 4.07 yards per rush by their running backs. Their backs finished with 2,551 combined yards with 15 touchdowns and 92 catches, which works to 25.71 FPPG. The Raiders threw less to the running back position in 2022 (92/678/2) than in 2021 (119/869/2) due to better wide receiver options.

Josh Jacobs

Las Vegas gave Jacobs the ball 306 times over 15 games in 2020. His opportunity fell by 11.4% in 2021, leading to 1,120 combined yards with nine touchdowns on 271 touches. He set a career-high in catches (54) and receiving yards (348). However, Jacobs gained only 4.0 yards per carry and 6.4 yards per catch while gaining 20 yards or more on only four plays (eight over his past 577 chances). He rushed for more than 100 yards in two games at home (27/129 and 26/132/1). Jacobs played the best over his final five games (97/459/2 – 4.7 yards per rush and 14 catches for 110 yards).

The Raiders worked Jacobs hard last season, leading to 393 touches (23.1 per game), while most fantasy drafters avoided him. He gained 2,053 combined yards with 12 touchdowns and 50 catches, ranking him third in running back scoring (329.30) in PPR formats. Jacobs gained more than 100 rushing yards in six matchups (28/144/2, 21/154/1, 20/143/3, 24/109, 33/229/2, and 26/144/1), which happened to come on two three-game stretches. The Raiders gave him a floor of five catches in five contests (5/31, 5/31, 5/39, 6/28, and 6/74), accounting for 54% of his season’s receptions (50). 

Fantasy Outlook: Las Vegas didn’t re-up his fifth-year option before last season, creating a franchise situation heading into the summer. If Jacobs holds out, he will slide in drafts. His early ADP (22) ranks him sixth at running back in the high-stakes market. Running backs coming off career seasons rarely repeats, especially after a massive workload. Jacobs starts the season at age 25, so he has plenty of life still in his game. I’ll set his bar at 300 touches for 1,400 yards with double-digit scores and 40+ catches. His questionable offensive line suggests his yards per rush will be closer to the league average (4.3).

Zamir White

The Bulldogs tend to have a deep bench of talented running backs, leading to multiple runners getting chances each season. White played in 15 games in 2021, but he gained only 931 yards with 11 touchdowns and nine catches on 169 touches. Over his three seasons, White finished with success in the run game (382/2,043/25) with minimal chances to catch the ball (17/132). He had only one contest with over 100 yards rushing (14/105) and fewer than 15 touches in 13 games in his final year in college.

I feel for pro athletes who work hard to strengthen and build their bodies for success. Unfortunately, White has already blown out his right (2017) and left (2018) ACLs. Georgia used him as a north/south runner, which led to plenty of contact in tight quarters. White had a grinder feel but flashed quickness and elusiveness when breaking free at the second level of the defense. When asked to make plays on the outside, he showed the ability to make defenders miss, thanks to a shimmy in his running style. White will make yards after contact while being at his best in late games.

The Raiders only had him on the field for 40 plays in his rookie season, leading to 70 yards on 17 carries.

Fantasy Outlook: White gives the Raiders early-down insurance for Josh Jacobs. He comes off the early draft board as the 66th running back in early PPR formats. White could work as a goal-line runner with value…

 

 

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT OUT OF THE RAIDERS IN 2023?

To finish reading Shawn’s in-depth 2023 team outlook, with in-depth offseason reports, projections, and fantasy outlooks for all players

 

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It’s one thing to simply get fantasy football advice from a magazine or website that may or may not have qualified help to dole out. But when fantasy football fans can get tips from the best of the world, that’s a whole different ball game. John Rozek is the former No. 1 ranked fantasy football manager in the world and All-Time Great: Toyota Legend of the Game, 2011 Hall of Fame Class Inductee. In addition to his successes in FFWC events, John is one of the most respected high-stakes fantasy players anywhere.

Here is the rare opportunity to get into the mind of one of the most highly-respected fantasy minds out there with John’s 2022 Preseason Pro exclusively from Fulltime Fantasy.

 

COMEBACK PLAYER

JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR) Kansas City Chiefs

 

 

 

See which Top 5 Wide Receiver John Calls a Bust!!!

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