Las Vegas Raiders DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said he feels very good about rookie first-round tight end Brock Bowers (foot) being on the field for the Week 1 regular-season opener against the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers. The Raiders are just being cautious with the rookie. Bowers hasn't practiced with the team since he missed the preseason game on Aug. 18 against the Dallas Cowboys due to foot soreness. It's a bit concerning that the 21-year-old is missing valuable practice reps with starting quarterback Gardner Minshew II with the regular season quickly approaching, but it sounds like the Georgia product will be on the field in Week 1. Fantasy managers shouldn't be expecting Bowers to be as good as Sam LaPorta was in his rookie season last year, but he has the ability to be a TE1 in fantasy immediately.

Free agent wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. is signing with the San Francisco 49ers, according to NFL Insider Jordan Schultz. The former 2021 second-round selection was waived by the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday afternoon. Over his first three NFL seasons, the LSU product totaled just 767 yards and one score on 64 receptions. Marshall saw a career-high 490 yards in 2022 but took a significant step down last season as he tallied only 139 yards. The 24-year-old could push to earn the No.4 or 5 spot on the 49er depth chart or may be placed on the practice squad for the time being. Marshall could be a name to monitor in deeper dynasty leagues, as he has yet to earn an extended opportunity in the NFL despite being a high draft pick.

There's still no sign of Las Vegas Raiders rookie tight end Brock Bowers (foot) at practice on Wednesday. Bowers hasn't practiced since the middle of August due to a foot injury, but there remains optimism that his lack of activity is precautionary. Fantasy managers will want to see the 21-year-old first-rounder back on the field soon, however, as Las Vegas' regular-season opener is less than two weeks away against the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 8 at SoFi Stadium. In the meantime, Michael Mayer and Harrison Bryant figure to be handling the first-team reps at tight end in practice sessions for the Raiders. Unless something significant emerges about his injury, Bowers remains safe to choose as a late-round pick for fantasy managers waiting until the end of drafts to grab a TE.

The Arizona Cardinals are re-signing quarterback Desmond Ridder (concussion) to their practice squad on Wednesday, according to sources. Ridder returns to the desert just a day after he was waived as the Cardinals cut their roster down to 53 players. The 24-year-old signal-caller failed to prove to the Atlanta Falcons that he was their franchise QB in his two seasons, and now he'll enter the 2024 regular season as the QB3 in Arizona behind Kyler Murray and Clayton Tune. The former second-rounder out of Cincinnati is no longer on the fantasy radar in single-year leagues after completing only 64% of his 503 pass attempts in his two years in Atlanta while throwing for 3,544 yards, 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. In addition to his 12 picks, Ridder was turnover-prone with 15 total fumbles, including 12 in 2023.

The Los Angeles Chargers released running back Isaiah Spiller on Tuesday, according to a source. Spiller, who was a former fourth-round pick in 2022 out of Texas A&M, lost out on the competition as backfield depth behind Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins to the likes of rookie Kimani Vidal, Jaret Patterson and Elijah Dotson. The 23-year-old should be able to latch on with another team before the start of the 2024 regular season, though, as backfield depth. In his two seasons with the Bolts, Spiller underperformed to the tune of a weak 2.5 yards per carry while gaining 137 rushing yards and no touchdowns on 55 carries. He also caught all nine of his targets in the passing game for 47 yards but wasn't able to find the end zone. Last year, Spiller had 37 carries for 96 rushing yards, adding 34 receiving yards on his six receptions.