With the NFL season just around the corner, which Raiders players should you take in your fantasy football draft?
The NFL season is slated to begin on September 8th (Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Rams), and many fantasy football leagues are soon set to have their annual draft. The draft is one of the most enjoyable parts for league members as they get to choose which players will be on their squad throughout the season. The competition of fantasy football will always have team owners searching for the best possible draft strategies. For some, they choose to take the best player available no matter what, while others will choose to take players from their favorite team. For those who want to draft players from their favorite team, it is important to know when it’s appropriate to select their desired player. Let’s discuss who and where you should select players from the Las Vegas Raiders.
Davante Adams, WR
For diehard Raiders fans looking to select a player from their favorite team, look no further than the biggest acquisition of the offseason. Davante Adams is considered to be one of the league’s best wide receivers, and that carries over to fantasy football. He consistently puts up big fantasy football points on a weekly basis to help carry your team to victories. Adams is ranked 18th in overall draft rankings and is rated as the fifth-best wide receiver option for fantasy this year, per Fantasy Pros. If you are looking to draft Davante, make sure to take him with one of your first two picks. He will come off draft boards pretty quickly seeing that wide receiver is a popular position to pick at the beginning of fantasy drafts.
Darren Waller, TE
A 2020 Pro Bowl selection, Waller has become one of the top tight ends in the league over the last few seasons. This puts him as the No. 5 tight end in fantasy rankings and 54th overall per Fantasy Pros. For anyone that is wanting to draft Waller, you should look to pick him up in one of the earlier rounds. The only caution you should have when taking Waller is that he is still recovering from a hamstring injury that kept him out much of last year. He is currently listed as questionable for week one.
Josh Jacobs, RB
Running back is commonly known as the most valuable position in fantasy football. They can put up big-time points and be game changers for your fantasy team. Jacobs is a back that would make for a valuable second option or rotational piece for your team. He is ranked as the 24th best running back and is the 57th overall rated player, according to Fantasy Pros. If you are thinking you would like to add him to your team, look to draft him in the earlier rounds. Pay attention to how fast running backs are coming off the draft board and make the pick when he’s close to the top of the board. He can provide your team with value at the RB2 position or as a strong depth piece.
Derek Carr, QB
The leader of the Raiders’ offense has been a consistently solid NFL quarterback. As for fantasy football, Carr is seen as a mid-level quarterback. He can provide some solid games but is not considered to be in the upper tier of quarterbacks for fantasy. He is ranked as the 15th overall quarterback and the 109th overall player in the Fantasy Pros draft rankings. Carr is someone that you would look to pick up in the later rounds of the draft. He can provide your team a great backup QB option or if you choose to prioritize other positions before quarterback then you could take him as a decent starter.
Hunter Renfrow, WR
Renfrow was a very good option as a fantasy receiver last season. A big reason for that was that he led the Raiders in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns in 2021. With the addition of Davante Adams and Darren Waller returning from injury, it appears that Renfrow will not have that same title this season. This is likely why he is ranked as the 42nd wide receiver and as the 98th overall player in the Fantasy Pros rankings. Renfrow is a great rotational wideout for your fantasy team if you are still looking for one in the later rounds.
Raiders’ defense
The Raiders’ defense is ranked 28th out of the 32 defenses for fantasy football. This is one selection that should be avoided in your draft. If the defense ends up surprising people early on, then hurry and claim them off the waiver wires since they should be available there, at least at the beginning of the year.
Raiders kickoff 2022
After a perfect 4-0 preseason, Las Vegas turns its attention to regular season football as they look to make a return to the playoffs for the second year in a row.
The Raiders open the season on Sunday, September 11 on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers. Kickoff is slated for 2:25 p.m. MT and the game can be seen on CBS and via Paramount+.
Fantasy Pros rankings are current as of August 31, 2022.
