Aidan O’Connell's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell (thumb) will be designated to return from injured reserve on Tuesday, head coach Antonio Pierce told the media. The Purdue product has been sidelined since Week 7 after injuring his thumb while making contact with a defender. Prior to that point, he had completed 52 passes for 455 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions through parts of four games. O'Connell will likely claim the starting role upon his return given that the Raiders have gotten poor results from both Gardner Minshew II and Desmond Ridder lately. With that said, O'Connell isn't a major upgrade and should still be viewed as a low-end fantasy QB2, at best.

The Las Vegas Raiders are hoping that quarterback Aidan O'Connell (thumb) will be available to take over as the starter in Week 13 on Friday against the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs now that Gardner Minshew II (collarbone) is out for the rest of the year. O'Connell has been on Injured Reserve since suffering a broken thumb against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7, but he's eligible to return to practice this week. If O'Connell isn't cleared, it makes little sense for the Raiders to go outside the organization to look for a starter in a lost season, which would make it unlikely they'd sign Daniel Jones, who was cut by the New York Giants last Friday. If O'Connell can't play against KC, the Raiders will likely start Desmond Ridder. O'Connell would be the better fantasy option over Ridder, but he'd also have very limited upside as a low-end QB2 option in superflex leagues against a strong Chiefs defense.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell (thumb) will be placed on Injured Reserve after fracturing his right thumb in the Week 7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, according to sources. O'Connell was making his second start of the year on Sunday but will now be out for four to six weeks and will miss at least the next four games after going on IR. He'll have a chance to return this season, but the earliest O'Connell can return would be in Week 13 against the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs on Dec. 8. In his two starts, O'Connell went 33-for-50 for 279 yards with a TD and an interception. Gardner Minshew II will now take over as Vegas' starter, but he's nothing more than a low-upside, low-end QB2 in superflex fantasy leagues. After relieving O'Connell on Sunday, Minshew went 15-for-34 for 154 yards with three interceptions and also lost a fumble.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew II was substituted in when lead quarterback Aidan O'Connell (thumb) was forced out for the rest of the game due to an injury when the Raiders played the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7. The former Jacksonville Jaguar finished the game, but it was a dreadful outing. H completed 15 of 34 passes for 154 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions. He also carried the ball once for two yards and lost a fumble. Las Vegas lost 15-20, so it's safe to say the giveaways were the difference. O'Connell seems to be set to miss time, so Minshew could start against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8. He's difficult to trust against KC's elite defense, even in 2QB leagues.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell (thumb) exited Sunday's matchup with the Los Angeles Rams. The signal-caller didn't last long in Week 7 and will finish the contest by throwing for 52 yards off 6-for-10 passing. Unfortunately, there is concern that O'Connell suffered a broken thumb, which would presumably put him on the shelf for a while. But fantasy managers will need to wait for the results of impending tests on Monday. If the worst is confirmed, Gardner Minshew II will likely be back under center, although his track record this season won't make him a viable fantasy asset in any format.