Las Vegas Raiders

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers was relatively quiet in Week 4, as he was targeted just three times, hauling in two passes for 19 yards, and handled one rush attempt for 12 yards in Sunday's 20-16 win over the Cleveland Browns. It was Bowers' worst game of the season despite the absence of lead receiver Davante Adams (hamstring) and fellow tight end Michael Mayer (personal). The Browns have historically held opposing tight ends to low yardage and touchdown totals, and this trend continued Sunday. The Raiders rookie tight end didn't have the worst day ever, considering Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew II only completed 14 passes. Bowers will face a tough Denver Broncos defense in Week 5 but is still a must-start tight end because of the lack of depth at the position. Bowers is highly talented, but as it was known before the season, his biggest obstacles are target competition and poor quarterback play.

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers was targeted 10 times by quarterback Gardner Minshew II but could only haul in five for 49 yards in Sunday's 20-16 win over the Cleveland Browns. He led the team in targets, though, and he's slid into the No. 1 wide receiver role in the absence of lead receiver Davante Adams (hamstring). The former New England Patriot will likely continue in this role until Adams returns. Minshew only threw 24 passes, meaning Meyers was targeted on nearly 42% of the quarterback's throws. This would be better for the 27-year-old if he were on a better offense, but the Raiders haven't been very explosive this season. Meyers has just one touchdown, and Minshew has thrown only three scores on the season, so it's hard to see Meyers being more than a WR3/FLEX option, and that's when Adams isn't playing. The Raiders and Meyers will face the tough Denver Broncos pass defense in Week 5, and even if Adams doesn't play, Meyers is a risky start.

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker had another nice game in Sunday's 20-16 win over the Cleveland Browns. Tucker showed his versatility with a three-yard rushing touchdown to go along with five receptions on six targets for 41 yards. He was expected to have a decent role with lead receiver Davante Adams (hamstring) out for Week 4, and he capitalized on his opportunities. The 23-year-old's been showcasing his blinding speed, and Raiders offensive coordinator Luke Getsy should find more ways to get him involved. Sunday's win is a good sign for Tucker, who had 22.60 PPR points in Week 3. The Browns have a stout defense, so his good performance against them shows he's talented enough to earn more opportunities. Tucker will look to continue working with more touches in Week 5 against the Denver Broncos. He may not have as big of a role if Adams returns, but he's at least worth stashing on benches for now.

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer (personal) has been ruled out for the Week 4 contest on Sunday against the visiting Cleveland Browns. Mayer didn't practice due to a personal matter on Thursday and now will not be with the team at all this weekend. Top receiver Davante Adams (hamstring) has also been ruled out, so Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker now figure to be quarterback Gardner Minshew II's top targets in the passing game, as well as rookie tight end Brock Bowers. Harrison Bryant should have a bigger role behind Bowers with Mayer out, but he remains off the fantasy radar. Tucker is worth consideration as a WR4/flex play in deeper fantasy leagues with Adams officially out. It's unclear how long Mayer will be away from the team. The 23-year-old former second-rounder has taken a clear back seat to Bowers and has four catches for 21 yards through three games in 2024.

ESPN's Dan Graziano thinks the next quarterback to be benched in the NFL could be Las Vegas Raiders QB Gardner Minshew II. When Minshew won the training camp battle at the position over Aidan O'Connell, it felt like you couldn't rule out the possibility of the two signal-callers flip-flopping back and forth all year. Head coach Antonio Pierce is sticking with Minshew after the embarrassing loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 4, but Pierce certainly wasn't happy after that loss. Minshew is 24th in QBR (44.1) through the first three weeks of the season. It hasn't all been Minshew's fault, but the Raiders could make the move to O'Connell sooner than later just to shake things up. Minshew's Week 2 upset over the Baltimore Ravens likely bought him at least another week. Some with the Raiders thought O'Connell had a slight edge coming out of offseason workouts over Minshew.