2024 FTN NFL Power Rankings Through Week 15: Who Takes Over the Top Spot?
Daniel Kelley
It’s time to look ahead to the 2023 NFL season! Follow along with all our fantasy football team offseason roundups here.
It’s been a very busy NFL offseason, with free-agent signings, coaching changes and several new players entering the league via the NFL Draft. As we prepare for the 2023 fantasy football season, it’s critical to have a full understanding of each team’s offseason moves. Our NFL team roundup series today covers the Las Vegas Raiders.
2023 NFL Team Roundup: Las Vegas Raiders
2022 Results
Record: 6-11; 3rd in the AFC West
Season End: Lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-13, missed the playoffs
Las Vegas Raiders Offseason Summary
Draft
1.07: Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech
2.35: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
3.70: Byron Young, DT, Alabama
3.100: Tre Tucker, WR, Cincinnati
4.104: Jakorian Bennett, CB, Maryland
4.135: Aidan O’Connell, QB, Purdue
5.170: Chris Smith, S, Georgia
Tyree Wilson, EDGE (1.07)
The Raiders bolstered their pass rush, headlined by two-time Pro Bowler Max Crosby and future Hall of Fame candidate Chandler Jones, by selecting Tyree Wilson at seventh overall. At 6-foot-6 and 271 pounds, Wilson was a menace off the edge, recording 14 sacks and 27.5 tackles for losses in his last two seasons at Texas Tech.
Michael Mayer, TE (2.35)
After trading away Darren Waller this offseason, and letting Foster Moreau walk in free agency, the Raiders moved up three spots in the second round and selected Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer at pick No. 35. Mayer was perennially mocked in the first round, often the TE1 off the board. As a former five-star recruit out of Covington Catholic High School, Mayer went above and beyond expectations, setting the all-time record for receptions (180), receiving yards (2,099) and receiving touchdowns (18), by any tight end in Notre Dame history.
Additions
Free agent signings: QB Jimmy Garoppolo, WR Jakobi Meyers, S Marcus Epps, LB Robert Spillane, CB Brandon Facyson, QB Brian Hoyer, LS Jacob Bobenmoyer, TE Austin Hooper, G Greg Van Roten, WR DeAndre Carter, CB David Long, DT John Jenkins, CB Duke Shelley, S Jaquan Johnson, TE O.J. Howard, WR Cam Sims, WR Phillip Dorsett, EDGE Jordan Willis
Jimmy Garoppolo, QB
The Raiders signed former 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to a three-year contract, after playing four seasons with head coach Josh McDaniel as a member of the Patriots. After being traded in the middle of the 2017 season, Garoppolo appeared in 57 games with San Francisco, recording 13,599 passing yards, 82 touchdowns and 42 interceptions. After acquiring Garoppolo, the 49ers made the NFC Championship game in three of the last four seasons, with one trip to the Super Bowl. Garoppolo took over for Trey Lance as the starting quarterback in Week 2 last season but played only 11 games before suffering a season-ending foot injury.
Jakobi Meyers, WR
The Raiders signed Jakobi Meyers to a three-year contract this offseason, He had played two seasons with head coach Josh McDaniels as a member of the Patriots. As a former undrafted free agent, Meyers led New England in targets and receiving yards in each of the last three seasons and finished first in receptions in two out of the three seasons since 2020.
Marcus Epps, S
Former Eagles safety Marcus Epps was brought in on a two-year, $12-million deal, fresh off a trip to the Super Bowl. Eps started all 17 games for Philadelphia last season, posting 94 tackles including four tackles for losses, to go along with six passes defended and a forced fumble.
Austin Hooper, TE
Two-time Pro Bowl tight end Austin Hooper signed a one-year contract with Las Vegas, adding veteran depth to the position. Hooper played all 17 games with the Titans last season, finishing second on the team in targets (60) and receptions (41), and tied for third in receiving yards (444). Since being drafted by the Falcons in 2016 (81st overall), Hooper has appeared in 105 games with the fourth-most catches among any tight end during that stretch (339).
Departures
QB Derek Carr, TE Darren Waller, TE Foster Moreau, QB Jarrett Stidham, CB Rock Ya-Sin, DT Andrew Billings, ILB Denzel Perryman, WR Mack Hollins, EDGE Clelin Ferrell, LS Trent Sieg, CB Sidney Jones, OT Jackson Barton
Derek Carr, QB
The writing was already on the wall that the Raiders would not be bringing back Derek Carr after benching him in the last two games of the 2022 regular season. Since joining the team as a second-round draft pick in 2014, Carr has appeared in four Pro Bowls, leading the franchise in career passing yards (35,222), touchdowns (217), and quarterback rating (91.8).
Darren Waller, TE
After signing Darren Waller to a three-year extension last offseason, the Raiders shipped away their 2020 Pro Bowl tight end to the Giants. Waller was limited to just nine games last season, battling a hamstring injury, catching 28 passes for 388 yards, and three touchdowns. Since his breakout 2019 campaign, leading the team with 90-plus receptions and 1,140-plus yards in back-to-back seasons, Waller has had trouble staying on the field, missing 14 games over the last two seasons.
Foster Moreau, TE
Foster Moreau played four seasons with the Raiders since being drafted to the team as a fourth-rounder in 2019 and appeared in 61 regular season games, logging 91 receptions for 1,107 yards with 12 touchdowns. He posted career-highs in targets (54), receptions (33) and receiving yards (420) in 2022, operating as the starting tight end for most of the season.
Mack Hollins, WR
Mack Hollins posted a career year in 2022, finishing second on the team in targets (94), receptions (57), receiving yards (690) and receiving touchdowns (4), trailing only Davante Adams.
Las Vegas Raiders Fantasy Outlook
The three most interesting Raiders fantasy options:
Davante Adams, WR
Davante Adams showed he was more than just a product of Aaron Rodgers last season, setting a career-high in targets (180) and catching 100 passes for 1,516 yards and 14 touchdowns. In 2022, Adams was the most targeted player not named Justin Jefferson, finishing third in the NFL in receiving yards and first in receiving touchdowns. Despite undergoing a change at signal-caller next season, Adams is as QB-proof as they come, averaging 10 targets, six receptions, 113 receiving yards and a touchdown in the two games started by Jarrett Stidham last season.
Josh Jacobs, RB
Josh Jacobs plummeted down draft boards last season after suiting up in the preseason Hall of Fame game, and he ended up being a league winner for managers who bought the dip. On the final year of his rookie contract, Jacobs saw a career-high 340 carries, leading the league with 1,653 rushing yards, to go along with 12 rushing touchdowns, tied for third among all running backs. He also posted his productive season as a receiver, catching 53 passes on 64 targets for 400 receiving yards. There is the worry of a potential holdout for Jacobs, who was unable to agree on a long-term deal, however, if active, few players, if any, are locked into the same caliber of a workhorse role in 2023.
Jakobi Meyers, WR
Jakobi Meyers led the Patriots in targets (96) and receiving yards (804) for a third straight season in 2022, trailing only Rhamondre Stevenson in receptions by two catches in three fewer games. After scoring just two touchdowns in the last three seasons, Meyers tripled his career total, finding the end zone six times in 2022. He missed three games due to sickness or injury but averaged a career-high 57.43 receiving yards per game. That number jumps to 61.09 receiving yards per game when removing a three-game stretch (Weeks 12-15) when Meyers was playing in a limited fashion after suffering a shoulder injury on Thanksgiving. Without Mack Hollins, Darren Waller and Foster Moreau, who all finished top five on the team in receiving yards last season, Meyers looks to be the favorite to emerge as the secondary option behind Davante Adams. It’s also worth monitoring Hunter Renfrow’s status, who has been rumored as a potential trade candidate.
2023 Outlook
DraftKings Sportsbook Wins Over/Under: 7.5 (+160/-190)
AFC West odds: +1200
The future is bleak for the Raiders, who will be entering their first season without Derek Carr since 2018, playing in a difficult AFC West conference. The team is already trending in the wrong direction with superstar players such as Josh Jacobs threatening to hold out next season. Although Jimmy Garoppolo did recently pass his physical, he’s far from a picture of health, missing 11 games over the past three seasons. Even with the heavy -190 juice, I’m still taking the under on 7.5 wins and staying away from their +1200 odds to win the division.
