Oakland Raiders: Week 1 fantasy football outlook

GLENDALE, AZ - AUGUST 12: Quarterback Derek Carr (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - AUGUST 12: Quarterback Derek Carr (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The start of the NFL regular season also signals the start of the fantasy football season, and here’s what you need to know about the Oakland Raiders on your squad.

This week marks the official start of fantasy football season, something that will be celebrated by an approximate 41 million people worldwide. Among the most exciting teams in the fantasy world are the Oakland Raiders, who showed off a high powered offense in 2016 that many expect to continue to rack up points this year, both on the field and on your fantasy team.

So what should you expect from Oakland’s biggest stars in their Week 1 matchup against the Tennessee Titans?

Possible Starters

According to Yahoo Fantasy Sports, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is ranked as the 10th best option at his position this week, putting him in the low-end QB1 or high-end QB2 range. In a standard league, if you have Carr it is unlikely you have one of the better options this week.

More from NFL Spin Zone

However, late-drafted quarterbacks such as Kirk Cousins and Marcus Mariota are ranked higher and are better options if available. The Titans passing defense wasn’t anything to be afraid of 2016, having been ranked 17th in passing touchdowns allowed and 30th in passing yards. Carr is a decent starter this week. However, daily fantasy players should be able to find better options for his price.

Oakland’s star wide receivers Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree are the best bets to perform well in Week 1. The Yahoo Sports consensus ranking has Cooper and Crabtree at 10 and 16 respectively. However, Yahoo writer Scott Pianowski has them No. 5 and 12, respectively, which signals that some believe both receivers are in line for a big game.

While both players are clearly must-starts this week, Crabtree could be the better value in daily games. Cooper is the more talented player, but if the Titans decide to double cover him it could open up the field for Crabtree. It should also be noted that Crabtree seems to be the go to receiver in the red zone.

Risky Plays and Your Bench

While the Titans passing defense might have been weak in 2016, their rushing defense was not. Last season the Titans ranked second in rushing yards allowed and tied for fifth in rushing touchdowns allowed. This means that new Oakland running back Marshawn Lynch is a risky play this week.

More from Fantasy Football

Yahoo Sports has him ranked as the 17th best option at running back, putting him in the low-end RB2 or Flex position. However, that ranking might even be a little high. It is important to remember that Lynch has only taken four snaps in Oakland’s entire preseason for a total of 16 yards. Lynch also didn’t play at all in 2016 and only seven games in 2015. Lynch should be considered an extreme risk until fans can see the level he is able to perform at.

Yahoo Sports ranks Oakland’s tight end Jared Cook as the 19th best option at the position. Oakland’s other tight end, Lee Smith, is not even ranked in the top 32. Both of these players should not be anywhere near your lineup in Week 1, as the tight end position is deep and there should be better options on waivers if not already on your team.

The Raiders defense should be avoided at all costs. Not only has Oakland’s defense struggled throughout the preseason, but the Titans offense is set up to take advantage of their holes.

Next: 2017 NFL Picks, score predictions for Week 1

The Titans ranked 10th in both rushing and passing touchdowns in 2016, and their offense should be better this year as they were able to add new weapons through the NFL Draft and free agency. The Raiders have also notoriously struggled to cover the tight end position, and Tennesse has a star tight end in Delanie Walker who is set to have a huge game.