Is there anyone on the Las Vegas Raiders that is worth starting in fantasy football this week?
Quarterback
Derek Carr continues to be unreliable in fantasy. Even though the offensive woes are not entirely on him, Carr has not given fantasy managers the confidence to start him. The weather is expected to be unkind as well, which is a factor that Carr has never fared well in.Â
Over the last four weeks, Cleveland’s defense has allowed the second-least points to quarterbacks. With how bad the weather will be, some may wonder if Mariota will get more playing time. The last time the Raiders played the Browns, Carr rushed for a 2020 season-high 41 yards. If the Raiders want to use the quarterback to run, they would be wise to use Mariota more often.
Running Back
Josh Jacobs is a fringe starter at best following a horrific performance last week. On the first play of last week’s game, Jacobs fumbled the carry, and it was returned for a scoop and score. He finished the game with 24 yards on nine carries and five receptions for 46 yards. Nevertheless, Jacobs should still get a decent volume with Cleveland’s weather.Â
If Peyton Barber or Trey Ragas get more playing time, no one should be starting. One positive is that any touchdowns scored on Monday will likely be done on the ground. Only start Jacobs if running back is a weak position for you.
Wide Receiver
Hunter Renfrow is still the only reliable wide receiver, and he’s been a great one at that. Renfrow was the only wide receiver to go for more than 25 yards last week. He finished with 117 yards and a touchdown. Renfrow is the 13th-highest scoring wide receiver in fantasy this year so far and the fourth-highest in the last four weeks. Despite the high possibility of a low volume of passing, Renfrow should still be worth starting as he should still get plenty of targets and earn his own yards on his legs. Bryan Edwards, Zay Jones, and DeSean Jackson have not seen enough targets to warrant starts. Jackson, however, is not the same as the previous two as he has gotten open on many occasions but just hasn’t seen the ball go his way enough. That will likely continue into this week as well.
Tight End
Foster Moreau hasn’t done enough to be worth starting as Darren Waller will miss another game. Given the situation in this game, you might think that he can be serviceable in the short passing game, but he could’ve lost some of Carr’s trust last week after bobbling a pass that was in his hands, which resulted in an interception. What should still be considered however, is that the Browns defense has allowed the third-most points to tight ends in the last four weeks.
Kicker
Daniel Carlson might be hard to figure out with poor offense and bad weather. Carlson only scored three points last week but that wasn’t his fault as he had no opportunities. He is still a good kicker and can score some points this week but you might want to look for someone in an easier situation.
Defense/Special Teams
They might be worth starting only because of the crazy situation for Cleveland. The Browns will potentially not have key pieces on offense such as Baker Mayfield, Jarvis Landry, Kareem Hunt and Austin Hooper. The Raiders defense has been decent for most of the season but haven’t forced enough turnovers. Their big plus for this game is that the Browns will be too short handed to score a lot and the weather will only make it worse for them. If you don’t have a good defense available, this unit could help.
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*Top Photo: David Zalubowski/Associated Press