This time of year there is only one thing on a sports fan's mind: Fantasy Football. So, with that, your friendly neighboorhood eDraft team is here to help. We will go team-by-team and break down all 32 teams, with in-depth analysis of top players, hidden gems, and projected busts. To check out the other breakdowns, as they become available, click here. Today, we break down the Oakland Raiders.
The Raiders are coming off yet another losing season, and one in which Terrelle Pryor won only three of his eleven starts, and a year where Matt McGloin had the most passing touchdowns on the team with eight. 2014 holds much higher expectations for the black and silver, and their best team on paper in some time. Rookies Khalil Mack and Derek Carr have rejuvenated the fan base, while offseason additions Justin Tuck, Matt Schaub and Maurice Jones-Drew will add a veteran presence with the ability to win.
Matt Schaub, Quarterback
Schaub has had quality seasons in the league before, like in 2009, where he passed for 4,770 yards and 29 touchdowns. He also lead the Texans to a 12-4 record just two seasons ago. So why did he get let go by Houston in favor of one Ryan Fitzpatrick?
The obvious reason was his ludacris four year extension set to pay him over $60 million that he signed one game into his 2012 campaign. The second reason is because he is simply not a cornerstone, franchise quarterback. Plain and Simple. And, nor should he be your fantasy quarterback.
Even in his breakout, 2009 season, he wasn’t that spectacular. He lead the league in yardage, but that was mostly due to the fact that the rushing game was just anemic with Steve Slaton, and was forced to throw the ball. Over half of his touchdowns went to two receivers, take them out of the equation and who knows what would happen. Schaub has never eclipsed the 30 touchdown mark, and certainly won’t do it in Oakland. The Schaub deal is a win-win for Oakland. If he produces, they win. If not, they get to see Derek Carr and what he brings to the table.
The receivers in Oakland aren’t nearly as poor as they have been in seasons past, like in 2011 when the only wide out remotely close to 1,000 yards was Darrius Heyward-Bey. But after an especially abysmal season in Houston, Schaub should not be looked at for fantasy purposes until he can prove himself once again.
Average Draft Position (ADP)- Not Ranked
Darren McFadden, Running Back
How does one even evaluate McFadden for fantasy purposes? Well it depends on what you want from your players. If you want sustainability and sure-fire players, this is not your guy. McFadden was a highly-touted fourth overall pick, and looked to be the next face of the franchise. But since being drafted, he’s never played more than 13 games in a year, and only started ten or more in two seasons! If you take out McFadden’s 2010 campaign, he’s really been a huge bust. Without that season, he’s never rushed for more than 750 yards in a year, and hasn’t even hit 1,000 scrimmage yards.
With what one would assume to be a new look offense, with Jones-Drew and Schaub on the squad now, McFadden has a chance to be a decent player. He is only 27 years old, and splitting the load with Jones-Drew might actually get him over the 13 game-hump, and have another year like 2010. He is a quality bench/depth player on a fantasy team in case of injury.
Average Draft Position (ADP)- 121
James Jones, Wide Receiver
After a spectacular 2012 performance which finished with 14 touchdowns, he went relatively unseen in 2013. In eight of Jones’ 14 games, he had less than 50 yards receiving. Almost all of Jones’ statistics went up from 2012 to 2013: receiving yards, yards per reception and even yards per game. So what is happening here? His numbers are skewed, which is why none of this makes sense. 55% of his total fantasy points in 2013 came from four of his 14 games- Against the Redskins, Bengals, Lions and Cowboys, three of those four have pitiful secondaries.
When it came to crunch time, you cannot count on Jones. In the biggest games of the Packers season last year, he wasn’t there. He had no catches in the first week against San Francisco and 20 total yards in the playoff game versus the same team. He had a total of four points in the last game of the season versus the Bears. What will change for Jones however, is his role on the team. In Green Bay, he was maybe the third or fourth best option at times. In Oakland, he will be the premier wide out, and certainly is the highest paid with his new three year, ten million dollar deal. Based on his role, he could be a viable bench option.
Average Draft Position (ADP)- 145
Rod Streater, Wide Reciever
OurLads.com has Streater as the starting wide out, opposite of James Jones. A nice recognition for a guy who has worked his tail off for the Raiders his first two years in the league. If Streater’s stock rises the way it has his first two seasons, he could very well be on his way to his first 1,000 yard season as a pro. Last year, Streater was terrific, catching 60 balls for 888 yards and four scores. What leaps out on the statistics page is his yards per catch. His rookie year, he averaged 15 yards per reception, and in 2013, averaged 14.8 which was 27th in the league. Not to shabby for an undrafted free agent playing in Oakland.
Streater is entering his third NFL season, and could be in for his biggest year yet. The Raiders are a new team, with a much better quarterback and a hell of a lot better offensive line, Streater could see much more than 60 catches. Streater has the make-up to be a household name in the league this year, and Oakland fans are really rooting for this Temple alumni. He is another quality player on your bench, almost the ideal bench player. If you have an injury, you can throw him right in there without missing a beat.
Average Draft Position (ADP) - Not Ranked
Mychal Rivera, Tight End
Rivera had a terrific rookie season, which finished with a little over 400 yards, 38 catches and four touchdowns. Rivera only started 3 games, but played in all 16. Dating back to college, Rivera has always been undervalued. He was sometimes a fourth option at Tennessee behind Justin Hunter, Cordarrelle Patterson and Da’Rick Rodgers.
If you were to compare his rookie year, to the great tight ends in today’s game, like AllForTennessee.com did, he is pretty similar. He had more catches than the likes of Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten. He also had more receiving yards than Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski had in their respective rookie seasons. The jury is still out on what Rivera will be in the end, but it’s looking pretty good so far. In terms of fantasy, he probably isn’t someone to target.He is more of a mid-season waiver-wire add depending on how he does. Tight End is a weak position in fantasy past the first-tier of players, but don’t get that desperate.
Average Draft Position (ADP) - Not Ranked
Biggest Fantasy Surprise- Maurice Jones-Drew, Running Back
Does anyone expect Jones-Drew to have a successful season in Oakland? He does have quite a bit of mileage, with over 1,800 rushing attempts and 335 career catches. It feels like everyone has already counted Jones-Drew out, and he hasn’t even hit 30 years old yet. All his terrific years in Jacksonville were lost in the abyss of the Jaguars dismal seasons.
But, it’s not totally out of the question for him to have another good season. At age 29, there have been 49 running backs in the NFL who had rushed for at least 850 yards and scored five touchdowns. Backs like Frank Gore and Michael Turner have done it most recently.Whether or not Jones-Drew is a starting fantasy option is probably pretty obvious- he isn’t. But in terms of shear expectations, he can very easily restart his career if the Raiders can finally have a bounce-back season.
Biggest Fantasy Disappointment- The Offense As a Whole
Expectations minus results equals disappointment. Using that formula, the whole Oakland offense is in for a disappointing year. Whether its the quarterback, the running backs, or the wide receivers, Oakland could be in for a tough season yet again. They simply do not have the firepower to compete in their division. In a division with Aqib Talib, Eric Weddle, and Eric Berry, how much can you expect from a guy who had a horrid year last season? The running backs have questions marks all over them with health concerns. The receivers are solid, but there isn’t one guy you look at while game-planning and say, “We have to focus on him.” Other than Mychal Rivera, every player could be minor disappointments.
How Their Schedule Impacts Fantasy Value
Well, the question here is how much fantasy value do the Oakland Raiders offensive players have? The answer is minimal. Their schedule in 2014 drives their, very minimal, fantasy stocks into the negatives. Is that possible you ask? My answer: Why not, it is fantasy, isn’t it? The Raiders have easily the hardest schedule of any team in the league, with their opponents this season having a .578 winning percentage in 2013. On top of facing good defenses in Denver, San Diego and Kansas City twice a year, they also go up against all of the NFC West. Plus, very good defenses in the Bills, Jets, and Texans.