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Oakland Raiders: Fantasy Football 2017 preview

By Nick Sparrow

KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 8: Quarterback Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders throws a pass against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium during the first quarter of the game on December 8, 2016 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 8: Quarterback Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders throws a pass against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium during the first quarter of the game on December 8, 2016 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) /
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GLENDALE, AZ – AUGUST 12: Running back Marshawn Lynch #24 of the Oakland Raiders warms up before the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on August 12, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Raiders 20-10. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ – AUGUST 12: Running back Marshawn Lynch #24 of the Oakland Raiders warms up before the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on August 12, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Raiders 20-10. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Oakland Raiders: Busts

It is important to note for this section that, by calling these players busts, I’m not saying that they will have terrible seasons. Rather I think they are being drafted too high and there is either better value picks in those rounds or too much risk involved in drafting them high.

New Oakland running back Marshawn Lynch is one of the players that I see as too risky. Lynch has an ADP of 23.8 and is the 12th running back being drafted. That position is higher than Houston Texans Lamar Miller, Cleveland Browns Isaiah Crowell, and Carolina Panthers rookie Christian McCaffrey. To put this into perspective, Lynch did not play at all last season and only played seven games in 2015. He also did not play in the Raiders first preseason game on Saturday and we do not know how much he will play at all this season.

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The problem is, we do not know what Lynch will look like when he takes the field Week 1. It has been two years since he played a full season and, being retired last season, we don’t truly know the shape he is in. I feel much safer drafting a player like Crowell than Lynch at this point.

Even if Lynch does turn out to underperform, however, I am not confident enough in any of Oakland’s other running backs to draft an alternative. While the crowded and versatile backfield of Lynch, Jalen Richard, DeAndre Washington, and rookie Elijah Hood is great for football, it’s a nightmare for fantasy. The three backs behind Lynch would likely split so much time that I am avoiding them all.

Amari Cooper is another Oakland star that is being drafted too high in my opinion. Cooper has an ADP of 23.5 and is being drafted ahead of Houston Texans DeAndre Hopkins, Seattle Seahawks Doug Baldwin, and Washington receiver Terrelle Pryor. Cooper is a great talent, but he has not yet down enough to be valued this high. Last season, Cooper had three fewer touchdowns than Michael Crabtree, but is being drafted 27 spots higher this season. Give me Pryor instead at this spot and grab Crabtree a few rounds later.

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