It’s that time again, Raider Nation. Fantasy football season is fast approaching and it’s time to nosedive your fantasy prospects by drafting like a homer and taking way too many players from your favorite team. If you simply have to be a fantasy “Stan,” Sin City Mockery has ranked the most fantasy-relevant Raiders players for the 2018 season so you can be the best sycophant you can be.
While it’s easy to immediately draft a running back, the Raiders defense is looking like it’s going to be piss poor, so it might be most advantageous to look at wide receiver and quarterback. With a fragile and thin defense, the Raiders are going to find themselves playing catchup or trying to keep pace with opposition scoring.
Jordy Nelson
Signed in the offseason, Nelson is a veteran pass-catcher with a great deal of savvy and upside. The Green Bay Packers felt his value wasn’t worth the pay so they let him walk right into the Black Hole, where he will now catch everything thrown his way from Raiders QB Derek Carr. Already getting rave reviews for his quickness and deceptive speed, Nelson figures to be Carr’s safety valve while defenses attempt to lock down Amari Cooper and slow the speed of Martavis Bryant. Nelson tallied 53 catches, 482 yards and six touchdowns last year with Aaron Rodgers out for most of the season and Brett Hundley under center. Hundley was about as bad as you can get, and the Nelson’s number’s suffered. Now he has a healthy Carr and will more than likely command single coverage most of the time. Projection: 82 catches, 775 receiving yards, 8 touchdowns
Amari Cooper
It feels like every year Raiders fans hype up Cooper’s potential, only to somehow be disappointed with his play or his health. With a strong receiving corps in Oakland, Cooper is out of excuses. Playing in 14 games last season, Cooper netted just 48 catches for 680 yards after catching 83 balls for 1,153 yards in 2016 and 72 catches for 1,070 yards in 2015. Amazingly gifted, Cooper just can’t seem to put consistent stretches together. He’ll rock out 200-plus yards one week, then just 28 the next. It makes for a terribly frustrating fantasy season, but with Nelson, Bryant, and tight end Jared Cook lining up alongside him, Cooper could return to excellence. If he doesn’t, it’s time to start looking elsewhere for fantasy production. Projection: 69 catches, 860 yards, 9 touchdowns
Derek Carr
The Raiders’ signal caller enters his fifth season in the NFL. Carr is coming off a mediocre, at best, season in 2017. The Fresno State alum completed 323 passes of 515 attempts for 3,496 yards, 22 TDs and 13 interceptions. In his defense, he was coming off a terrible leg injury the previous season but his QB rating was its lowest since his rookie season. With Cooper, Nelson, Bryant, and Cook in the stable, Carr has plenty of horses to feed the ball to. He should throw up some strong numbers, especially if the defense struggles to stop opposing offenses. A ton of mop-up points could really turn the tide. He is an excellent QB2 in two-QB leagues. Still not sold he’s elite though. Projection: 4,100 passing yards, 29 touchdown passes, 14 interceptions, 39 rushing attempts, 80 yards, 1 touchdown
Marshawn Lynch
“Beast Mode” takes fourth in value when it comes to the Silver & Black. Lynch has been on the downside of his greatness for a year or two now, and his stats are starting to show it. Last season, Lynch ran for 891 yards on 207 carries for a 4.3 yards per carry average (YPC). It was better than 2016 — his final season in Seattle — where he ran for just 417 yards and averaged just 3.8 YPC. Running backs have a short shelf life in the NFL and the addition of “Muscle Hamster,” Doug Martin, his touches could go down. Martin is just two seasons removed from a 1,400-yard season. With the defense projecting to struggle, Lynch isn’t much of an option when trailing. He is a bruiser who makes his pay banging heads in the trenches and running over others. If you have to draft a Raiders RB, of course Lynch is the best choice but it looks as if he and Martin will have to share. Projection: 155 carries, 650 yards, 6 touchdowns, 25 catches, 150 yards, 2 touchdowns.
Martavis Bryant
Bryant enters the season with huge question marks. Traded by the Steelers for what amounted to a bag of footballs, Bryant’s off-the-field behavior has raised many concerns. The 26-year-old caught 26 balls for 549 yards last season, and was clearly beaten out by JuJu Smith-Schuster midway through the season. If the kid can hit his potential, he could be a very sneaky play during bye weeks, especially. Of course, if he becomes a distraction, he’ll be gone faster than Jon Gruden can film a Corona Light commercial. Projection: 47 catches, 725 yards, 4 touchdowns
Jared Cook
A mid-tier tight end, Cook has always had the potential to stand out and throw up some big numbers. In a league where there are only a few quality tight end options like “Gronk,” you’ve got to find someone who can grind a bit. Cook put up strong numbers last year (54 catches, 688 yards) but struggled to find the end zone (just twice in 2017). Tight ends should be TD machines but 43 yards per game is strong, IF he can find pay dirt. In what looks to be a pass-happy offense, Cook could still have a few big weeks. There are worse tight end options in the league. Projection: 45 receptions, 625 yards, 5 touchdowns
Doug Martin
Martin will be a strong handcuff to Lynch. He may also vulture a few scores here and there. While he is no longer a 1,400-plus yard rusher, “Muscle Hamster” can still throw up a few big games. If Lynch goes down, Martin will assume full control of this offensive backfield. A healthy Lynch means splitting carries, with Lynch getting probably 65 percent of the touches. If you draft Lynch, you have to snag Martin late as the handcuff. Projection: 38 carries, 395 yards, 3 touchdowns, 12 catches, 135 yards
