2015 Finally A Good Year To Draft Oakland Raiders In Fantasy?

ByJonathan George|

Over the last several seasons, The Oakland Raiders didn’t offer a lot of options when it came to fantasy football. Most of those years, the Raiders offense was ranked near the bottom of the league in the statistics important to fantasy football drafters, and even the most loyal of Oakland fans looked elsewhere when drafting if they had a realistic outlook for a successful fantasy campaign. 2015, however, could be a big turnaround for the team’s offense, and in turn Oakland’s fantasy outlook is brighter as well.

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With new offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave looking to not only speed up the offense to create more plays per game on offense, as Scott Bair from csnbayarea.com mentions here, but to also try to install higher percentage pass plays, there is a great chance several players on the team will actually be big fantasy producers if they can stay healthy. And while fantasy football may not be a concern of some fans, the fact is that big numbers can equal wins (See names like Brady, Rodgers, Manning, etc.)

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So which Raiders should you think about picking and where? The truth is that the answer to that question depends on the amount of confidence you have in Oakland’s offensive turnaround. There are some players that will probably be big factors no matter how good the offense is, and others that will depend on the team having a big year. Here are some players that will most likely be drafted by fantasy owners this year:

Early Rounders:

WR Amari Cooper is arguably the easiest call here. You have to figure that if he plays in all 16 games this season he will see a lot of looks in the passing game, and a high tempo offense will most likely result in big catch and yardage totals. Whether we see him in the end zone a lot will depend on the Raiders offensive game plan in the red zone, but he remains Oakland’s best deep threat and should see his share of big plays.

QB Derek Car should garner some early round consideration as well. Carr produced a modestly good season as a rookie in 2014, amassing over 3,200 yards passing and 21 touchdowns. Those numbers figure to only go up in 2015 with more versatile options on offense and hopefully more protection.

Carr will also benefit from Musgrave’s scheme, as it should get the ball out of his hands quicker and make his completion percentages go up, similarly to Eli Manning’s resurgence in 2014. Should Carr be a first rounder in the draft? That’s probably too high, but he is a great option for owners looking to stack their WR or RB corps early and needing a second or third round QB that will still produce good numbers. Carr could be a guy that goes later but plays like a first rounder.

Mid Rounders:

RB Latavius Murray might be an option once you take the 1st picks in your respective positions, as he is projected to also have a bigger season in 2015. The reality is that until the Raiders offense solidifies and shows what it is capable of, however, most owners will probably be in a wait-and-see mode with him. He could be a huge mid to late round pick, or a guy that is a free agent grab once he puts up a few big games statistics wise.

WR Michael Crabtree is a tough call honestly. He is another player that has had some pretty big seasons, as well as some duds due to injury or the offensive schemes he played in. Crabtree is most likely too big of a question mark to pick in the first half of the draft, but could be another player that gives owners willing to gamble a huge return, especially as he should benefit from single man coverage playing across from the previously mentioned Cooper.

Raiders Worth A Free Agent Look:

TE Clive Walford, if he ends up becoming the full-time starter, should factor pretty large in a healthy Oakland offense. He has the hands and moves to make some noise in the red zone and down the middle of the field.

WR Rod Streater is another player that owners will be keeping an eye on to see if he can bounce back from his 2014 injuries. If the Raiders feature Streater in the passing game, he will be snatched up in free agency by owners looking for a good bye week option or an injury replacement early in the season.

If Oakland is able to score quickly and can equally mix in the run and passing game with success, the sky is the limit for them statistically. That would not only mean wins for your fantasy football team, but just as importantly for Oakland fans, actual wins on the field.

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