Which Las Vegas Raiders should fantasy managers start this week? Let’s take a look!
Quarterback
Derek Carr had a bounce-back game in last week’s matchup against the Broncos, scoring 21.54 points. Carr has averaged 324.3 passing yards coming into this week. He will be tested by an Eagles defense that hasn’t allowed over 300 passing yards in a game this season. Carr is most likely to find success in the short game. Fantasy owners should be a bit hesitant to start him as he has not thrown more than two passing touchdowns in a game so far.
Running Back
Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake combined for 155 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns. The majority of the scoring was in Drake’s favor. Jacobs still has an issue with getting consistent yards but can still be decent if given goal-line carries. Anyone that has held on to Drake must feel some relief in seeing him get back into the game plan. Due to Drake’s pass-catching abilities, he should have a higher upside than Jacobs this week, especially in PPR leagues.
Wide Receivers
Because the Eagles haven’t allowed too many passing yards, it’s a bit harder to see how this group will fare. Henry Ruggs III had a quality game last week with three catches for 97 yards and a score. Since Ruggs is primarily utilized in the deep passing game, he doesn’t have a high upside. Hunter Renfrow might end up having the best game among the wide receivers due to his skillset in the short passing game combined with his elusiveness. Don’t sleep on Bryan Edwards either. If cornerback Darius Slay is guarding Ruggs, that can open the field for other receivers.
Tight End
Darren Waller has fallen back to the fifth-highest scoring tight end in the league. Waller looks to be due for a big game after only scoring 56.3 points since the opening week. Similar to Renfrow, Waller has what it takes to thrive in the short passing game.
Kicker
Daniel Carlson is a top 10 kicker in the league in terms of fantasy. That’s all you need to know if you’re debating on starting Carlson this week.
Defense/ Special Teams
Despite the Raiders’ success on defense last week, forcing four turnovers and sacking the quarterback five times, managers should not jump too soon to start them this week. The Eagles have only allowed opposing defenses to score 5.5 points per game this season. That isn’t too concerning, but it also is not convincing if you wanted to start the Raiders defense. The shootout potential in this game does not help either.
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*Top Photo: Chris Unger/Getty Images
