Las Vegas Raiders DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker has one more chance to cement himself as a key part of the team's passing attack during Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Los Angeles Chargers. The wide receiver position will be a key area of discussion in Las Vegas this offseason, and Tucker has an opportunity to make a case for himself on film and in the stat sheet this weekend. He has routinely played north of 90 percent of the offensive snaps lately, and he commanded an impressive eight targets last weekend against the New Orleans Saints. However, he caught just two of those eight targets, adding 24 yards and one touchdown along the way. This week, Tucker faces a Los Angeles defense that has ranked near the middle of the league in terms of fantasy points allowed to wide receivers this season. They're slightly better against slot receivers, and fortunately for Tucker, he's played just one-fifth of his snaps from the slot this season. Tucker ranks as a WR4 heading into Sunday's regular-season finale.

Las Vegas Raiders running back Alexander Mattison is on track to lead the backfield in Week 18 against the Los Angeles Chargers. While Mattison had taken a backseat to Ameer Abdullah (foot) lately, Abdullah has already been ruled out for Sunday's contest, leaving Mattison in line to draw the start. The Raiders' only other healthy running backs are rookies Dylan Laube and Chris Collier, who have combined for just four touches throughout the entire 2024 season. We can't rule out Las Vegas giving some extra touches to Laube and Collier so that they can get more film on the rookies, but we still anticipate Mattison getting the bulk of the opportunities out of the backfield. He's facing off against a Chargers defense that has allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to running backs in 2024, but the seventh-most receptions. Mattison, who is averaging 2.5 catches and 0.4 touchdowns per game, ranks as a low-end RB2 option in fantasy football as he essentially gets the backfield to himself this week.

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers continues to be an appealing fantasy option, ranking in the WR2 range ahead of Sunday's Week 18 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Meyers is coming off yet another high-volume performance, catching five of his nine targets for 51 yards and a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints last Sunday. He and Brock Bowers continue to be Aidan O'Connell's favorite targets in the passing game. The Chargers rank near the middle of the league in terms of fantasy points allowed to wide receivers this season, and they're slightly better against slot receivers than those who play on the perimeter. For context, Meyers has played 30.7 percent of his snaps from the slot, which is the 28th-highest mark in the NFL. Los Angeles' respectable secondary could find itself shorthanded if the Chargers choose to rest some of their starters, but so far, there's no indication that that will happen. Expect the Bolts to play their top defenders, leaving Meyers as a mid-to-low WR2 option on Sunday.

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers will be a top option at his position despite a stiff test in the Los Angeles Chargers. In Week 17's win over the New Orleans Saints, the rookie sensation broke Mike Ditka's rookie receiving yardage record and Puka Nacua's rookie reception record (in one fewer game). With one game remaining, the 22-year-old could make even more history as he closes in on Zach Ertz's single-season TE reception record set in 2018. The veteran notched 116 that season, meaning Bowers needs eight more catches to tie him. The Chargers aren't the most favorable of matchups, but with the Georgia product playing the role of the clear No. 1 option on his team, he still stands a chance to challenge an impressive mark. He'll come in as RotoBaller's PPR TE1 in this week's ranks.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell won't be a viable fantasy option this Sunday when his team hosts the visiting Los Angeles Chargers. O'Connell has been decent when he's gotten the nod this year -- piecing together a 5:1 TD:INT ratio and 266.5 yards per game on a 64% completion percentage. However, he'll have his work cut out for him in Week 18. The 26-year-old will get his fifth start of the season against a Chargers squad, allowing the fewest points per game in the NFL (17.6). Additionally, LA has been a top-ten unit against fantasy quarterbacks in 2024 (17 PPG). Even on a week when some teams will be benching their starters, fantasy managers can find a better option than the Purdue product to slot into their lineups. O'Connell comes in as RotoBaller's QB22 in this week's rankings.