Which Raiders should you be eyeing for your fantasy football team?

Aug 29, 2024 at 12:34 PM

Levi Edwards

Digital Team Reporter

If you're reading this, you probably have some tough decisions to make regarding the direction of your fantasy football team.

I understand your dilemma, considering I'm in six different leagues with friends and family this year.

Millions of armchair quarterbacks and general managers are days away from kicking off their fantasy football season. If you're looking for some players to give your team an edge this year, look no further than what the Silver and Black have to offer.

Granted there's plenty of options to choose from, but here are three Raiders I believe worth a draft pick for your fantasy teams.

Davante Adams

ESPN Fantasy Football WR Ranking: 10
Yahoo Sports Fantasy Football WR Ranking: 11
Sleeper Fantasy Football WR Ranking: 9

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Why should you draft Davante Adams in your fantasy football league this year? Well, because it's Davante Freakin' Adams, let's be real here.

Over the past half decade, Adams has been one of the top, if not the best wide receiver in the game of football. In five of his last six seasons, he's gone for over 1,000 yards receiving (coming up a mere three yards short of that mark in 2019). Since arriving to Las Vegas in 2022, he's totaled 22 touchdowns and over 100 receptions in each of his two seasons. His superb route-running and explosive playmaking ability are a nightmare for NFL secondaries – and for fantasy football opponents of his.

Adams has previously been valued a first-round pick in most fantasy football drafts, however he's projected to slide down to the second or third round in many leagues. The main concerns have been his age, turning 32 this December, and quarterback play coming off the battle between Gardner Minshew II and Aidan O'Connell.

I'd like to remind you that even while the Raiders trotted out three starting quarterbacks during different periods of the 2023 season, No. 17 still led the team in receptions (103), targets (175), receiving yards (1,144) and yards after catch (336), plus tied with Jakobi Meyers for a team-high eight touchdown grabs. With Adams' guaranteed high volume, he becomes even more valuable in leagues with points per reception (PPR) scoring format.

Brock Bowers

ESPN Fantasy Football TE Ranking: 12
Yahoo Sports Fantasy Football WR Ranking: 12
Sleeper Fantasy Football WR Ranking: 9

If Bowers looks anything in the regular season like he did in training camp or preseason, he could work his way into being a top 5 fantasy football player by the end of 2024.

The first-round pick is one of the most decorated tight ends in college football, totaling 26 touchdowns, 175 catches and over 2,500 yards in three seasons at Georgia. The two-time John Mackey Award winner has shown he can do a little bit of everything on the practice field, lining up all over the field and finding ways to churn out yards after the ball gets in his hands. In his preseason debut, he came up with two impressive catches for 25 yards against the Minnesota Vikings.

"That little one-stepper slant that he caught across the middle low like that, you see a play like that and you just see it as a routine catch – which it should be, that's how we look at it – but those are not easy, especially as your first grab in the league," Adams said, evaluating Bowers' first preseason action.

The rookie has been out of practice for a few weeks with a foot injury, however Antonio Pierce said Thursday morning that he's confident Bowers will be a full-go for the season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers. Even as a mid-to-late round fantasy draft pick, Bowers could still be considered a solid option to start as a flex on your roster.

Zamir White

ESPN Fantasy Football RB Ranking: 23
Yahoo Sports Fantasy Football RB Ranking: 27
Pro Football Focus Fantasy Football RB Ranking: 33

I think a lot of people are sleeping on Zamir White this season.

In this week's Mailbag, I was asked if White is a viable candidate in fantasy. Me personally, I'd go all in on him, especially with where he's projected to be drafted. His low draft projections really have nothing to do with his talent, but unfamiliarity to his game. He's taking over as the lead back for the Raiders after starting the last four games of the 2023 season, in which he averaged nearly 100 rushing yards.

He's been featured heavily in the offense throughout camp and averaged nearly five yards a carry during the preseason. The locker room has been vocal about his potential in Luke Getsy's offensive scheme.

"I think Zamir has his legs underneath them," Pierce said. "Big, powerful man and bigger than he was last year, more explosive, faster it looks like."

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Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Amari Gainer (53) during practice at Intermountain Health Performance Center.