Knowledge is power and the greatest asset you can acquire in order to compete for a fantasy football championship.
Here’s your 2023 preview of the Las Vegas Raiders, the third of 32 team profiles during draft season:
2023 Fantasy MVP: Davante Adams, WR
I understand those who doubt Jimmy Garoppolo can push the ball downfield in ways Adams (ADP: 16) is accustomed to, having played the bulk of his career with Aaron Rodgers and Derek Carr. I’m betting on talent to find a way though. Adams has scored 43 receiving touchdowns in his last 47 games, and Rodgers or Carr weren’t the only quarterbacks throwing him the football.
2023 Fantasy Sleeper: Michael Mayer, TE
Schematically, Mayer (ADP: 161) is a perfect fit for the Raiders and what Josh McDaniels likes from the tight end position. The second-round pick (No. 35 overall) isn’t as explosive as Kyle Pitts (ADP: 66), but his receiving acumen, size and toughness put him just a tier below Pitts as a prospect. He’ll have every opportunity to secure Darren Waller’s vacated targets.
2023 Fantasy Bust: Josh Jacobs, RB
Jacobs (ADP: 24) finally fulfilled his immense potential last season with 2,053 total yards, 53 receptions and 12 TDs. However, the NFL’s reigning rushing champion is holding out and didn’t sign the franchise tag Las Vegas applied to him this spring. Frankly, it was a mistake for the Raiders to decline his fifth-year option entering the 2022 season. He hasn’t participated in any of the team’s offseason programs and didn’t report to training camp. There’s no real end in sight here given how disgruntled most running backs are these days due to the economics of their position. All this, and he had 340 carries in his breakout campaign. Only eight running backs have carried the ball that much in the last decade and all dealt with injuries or saw significant dropoff in their production the following year. Only Derek Henry has shown the ability to handle high volume year after year, but Henry is a giant cyborg.
2023 Fantasy Rookie to watch: Aidan O’Connell, QB
O’Connell (ADP: NA) showed promise in the spring and has impressed early in training camp. He was a no-star recruit who ended up a finalist for the 2022 Burlsworth Trophy (top former walk-on). He featured one of the better downfield touches in the 2023 draft class, but the accuracy comes and goes. He’s a quick-processor who is cool, calm and collected in or out of the pocket and could potentially see some time under center as a rookie if things go south quickly for Garoppolo.
