Oakland Raiders: Fantasy Football 2017 preview
By Nick Sparrow
A strong draft is the most important part of a person’s fantasy football season, and the Oakland Raiders are full of stars for 2017.
It is that time of year, again. People around the world are getting ready for their upcoming fantasy football drafts. A successful draft primarily comes down to two things: being right more often than being wrong and finding value. To do these successfully, you need to have a feeling for players to target, players that might be busts, and sleepers.
A player to target is someone who you feel is going to have an especially good fantasy season and need to plan to get. For example, Green Bay Packers’ wide receiver Jordy Nelson has an ADP (Average Draft Position) of 14.5, which is the second round in most fantasy leagues. However, if you felt he was the seventh best player and you have the ninth pick you should pick him in the first round, despite his ADP.
Related Story: NFL 2017: One superstar megatrade for each team
Alternatively, a bust is a player who you expect to perform poorly this season and is being drafted too highly. These players you need to avoid, especially within their ADP range. If you have the 14th pick and Nelson is ranked as the best player available, do not draft him if you think he might be a bust. Listen to your gut over the ADP. Fantasy football teams are made with the individual. If everyone followed the ADP then every league would look the same.
The final type of player and perhaps the most important are sleepers. A sleeper is a player who has the ability to significantly outperform their ADP. Last season, former New England running back LeGarrette Blount was being drafted at the end of the seventh round, with an ADP of 82. By the end of last season, Blount was the eighth best player in fantasy and seventh at the position of running back. Having taken him in a late round could have made your entire season.
Here is a look at the Oakland Raiders and provide a breakdown of who to target, avoid, and not sleep on. (Note: All ADPs are provided via Fantasy Pros.)