Analysis

8/11/23

4 min read

Las Vegas Raiders 2023 Fantasy Football Preview

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As we inch closer to opening day of the NFL season, we want to prepare you for your fantasy football drafts. That process begins with our team previews, where we’ll break down each team’s offense while providing players we’re targeting and, in some cases, avoiding.

>> READ: Raiders Season Preview from Mike Martz

Raiders Fantasy Team Preview

Head Coach: Josh McDaniels (second season as Raiders HC)

Offensive Coordinator: Mick Lombardi (second season as Raiders OC)

Key Offensive Additions:

Key Offensive Departures:

Key Offensive Rookies:

Points Per Game: 23.2 (12th)

Passing Yards: 231.4 (11th)

Rushing Yards: 121.1 (17th)

Vacated Targets: 191 (eighth)

Pass: 63 percent Run: 37 percent

Pace: 28th

OL Rank: 28th

Quarterbacks

Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers’ offense scored 33 or more points in five of the six games after he replaced the injured Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo scored 15.3 fantasy points per game last season, but Purdy scored 18.1 in the same offense.

If the last pick in last year’s draft could drive that kind of production in his first year with the 49ers, we need to reduce our expectations for Garoppolo in a worse offense.

Consider Garoppolo a matchup-based streaming option who should be left on waivers in most formats.

Running Backs

Josh Jacobs’ 393 touches in 2022 were the fifth-most by a running back in the past decade. Generally, players with this type of workload have not fared well in the subsequent season. 

Jacobs is holding out, though most signs indicate him suiting up for Week 1. He’ll be running behind a mediocre offensive line, and Garoppolo is a downgrade from Derek Carr.

Jacobs’ fantasy path is once again through pure volume. He parlayed 20 carries and 3.1 receptions per game into the RB3 overall performance behind Austin Ekeler and Christian McCaffrey. Hoping for another historic workload is a tall task. 

While Jacobs probably doesn’t survive another season like 2022, he should be a mid-range fantasy RB1 anytime he’s healthy in 2023. Jacobs is a risky pick in the second and early third rounds. He should be considered when he slips into the late third or early fourth.

Zamir White is a priority stash in fantasy because Jacobs could hold out into the season or get injured. White offers nothing as a pass-catcher, but he has size and speed. Think of him as a low-end RB2 if he starts.

Ameer Abdullah is the pass-catching back but can be left on waivers. It’s unclear how much he’ll play each week, and he hasn’t reached six fantasy points per game in his past five seasons.

Wide Receivers, Tight Ends

The Raiders' passing game will center on Davante Adams, though he's not likely to replicate his 180 targets from last season. Adams remains a top-12 fantasy wide receiver, although he might trend toward the lower end of that group with Garoppolo under center.

Free agent acquisition Jakobi Meyers is expected to be the second target in this offense and should see more than 100 targets. Meyers will be a reliable chain mover due to his familiarity with McDaniels' system, making him a solid floor play. 

Hunter Renfrow's role in the offense is uncertain due to Adams and Meyers excelling in the slot. Renfrow is only a recommended draft choice if he changes teams.

Michael Mayer has potential, but rookie tight ends often struggle to make an impact in their first season. As the offense’s third or fourth option, Meyer’s role won't be significant enough to be a factor for fantasy. 

Dynasty Buy

Ian Miller: Buy Adams (WR17)

Adams is 30, but he’s coming off three straight seasons with a 30 percent or higher target share. Even if Las Vegas’ offense takes a step back from last year, Adams can easily have another top-five season. We’ve seen the elite of the elite target-earners continue to do it well into their 30s — Adams is one of those guys.

Raiders We’re Targeting or Avoiding in Fantasy Football

Josh Larky: Avoid Adams, Jacobs.

Ryan Reynolds: None.

Jordan Vanek: None.

Follow our Team on Twitter

Josh Larky: @JLarkyTweets

Ryan Reynolds: @RyanReynoldsNFL  

Jordan Vanek: @JordanVanekDFS   

Ian Miller: @Dynasty_IM   

Other Previews

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS 

NFC North: GB | CHI | MIN | DET 

AFC East: BUF | NE | MIA | NYJ 

AFC North: CIN | CLE | BAL | PIT 

NFC South: NO | ATL | CAR | TB 

AFC South: HOU | IND | JAX | TEN 

NFC West: SF | LAR | SEA | ARI

AFC West: LAC | KC | DEN

Our data is provided by Sports Info Solutions, and our vacated targets figure is provided by Tru Media. 

Tags: Ameer Abdullah, Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow See More

Ryan Reynolds

Ryan graduated with distinction from the University of Minnesota as an accounting major, but some of the most valuable business and investment lessons he has ever learned came from spending weekends learning the sports collectibles business from his father. At a young age, Ryan would voluntarily spend hours sifting through minor league baseball statistics, using his father’s analytics-based system to identify potential targets. Even then, the hitter’s swing or the pitcher’s “stuff” mattered more to Ryan than the perspective granted through just data.

Josh Larky

Josh Larky is the Director of Fantasy and Gambling at The 33rd Team.  He joins us with a unique blend of educational and professional experience.

Ian Miller

Ian Miller attended Washington State University, where most of the time he was building fantasy football models when he should’ve been paying attention to lectures. That’s where he first started building his process that he continue to grow today. It’s a process that gives probability of success and range of outcomes for recruits all the way to ten year NFL veterans. It’s something Ian not only shares with the readers, but also uses in his personal fantasy leagues.

Jordan Vanek

Jordan has been playing DFS since 2016 and started writing content at the end of 2020. While playing DFS, he has managed multiple top 10 finishes in NFL, college football, baseball, basketball and NASCAR.

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