Oakland Raiders: Week 5 fantasy outlook vs. Ravens

The Oakland Raiders host the Baltimore Ravens after two consecutive road losses, but who do you want or not want in your fantasy football lineups?

Two weeks ago, a matchup between the Oakland Raiders and the Baltimore Ravens would have been considered a marquee game. Both would have been 2-0 and Oakland seemed to have an elite offense while Baltimore had the best defense in the league.

However, Week 5 is not Week 3. Both the Raiders and Ravens are coming off of two losses which weren’t that close and seem lost in all aspects of the game. Combined with the fact that franchise quarterback Derek Carr will miss this game with a back injury, it is hard to know what to expect from this game on Sunday.

While the outcome is a question, hopefully this is will provide some clarity as you set your fantasy lineups.

Stars and Starters

Marshawn Lynch has notably had a slow to start to his season. Lynch is averaging only 37.8 yards per game and has a single touchdown through four games. However, there the reasons for his slow start might be coming to an end. The first thing to note is that Lynch had not played a game of football since November 2015 before this season. Lynch also only had four touches through all of Oakland’s preseason game.

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I warned fantasy players about these exact facts prior to Oakland’s Week 1 matchup. It is no surprise that Lynch could be rusty, but as we enter the second month of the season we could easily see him get back to his old self, or close to it.

The second note is that Lynch is not getting a ton of yards due to not getting a ton of usage. Lynch currently ranks 27th in rushing attempts per game this season. Oakland’s offense is a pass-first system, which we all knew going into the season.

However, with Carr projected to miss up to six weeks, that may no longer be an option. EJ Manuel is a solid backup, but expecting him to carry the offense in the same way Carr was able is unrealistic. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lynch’s usage skyrockets in the next few weeks to take pressure off of Manuel.

While the Raiders defense should definitely not be considered an elite unit, they are a viable streaming option for this week. The Ravens offense is struggling, currently ranked 30th in both yards and points per game. Baltimore is having problems in all aspects of their offense. Joe Flacco has thrown six interceptions this season and only four touchdowns this season.

Additionally, Baltimore is only averaging 67 rushing yards per game over the last two weeks. Oakland’s defense won’t win much praise, but currently ranked 13th in points allowed per game, they should be able to contain a struggling Baltimore offense.

Risky Plays and the Bench

With Carr out, a lot of Oakland’s studs are immediately downgraded to risky plays. As mentioned, Manuel is decent and there are much worse options at backup throughout the league. Entering Oakland’s Week 4 game after Carr’s injury, Manuel still managed to go 11-of-17 before throwing an interception in the end zone.

The Ravens passing defense seemed to be elite through the first two games of the season, forcing eight interceptions in those games. However, in the two games since they have only had one interception and allowed five passing touchdowns. Without knowing what to expect from Manuel or Baltimore’s defense, I would consider Manuel an extreme risk that is only worth a fill-in spot in very deep leagues.

A lot of that logic also applies to star receivers Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. It is incredibly difficult to have faith in either player, especially as they were struggling before Carr even got hurt. In Week 3, Cooper and Crabtree had a combined two receptions for 13 yards. Crabtree sat out of Oakland’s Week 4 matchup with a chest injury, but Cooper’s struggles continued as he had two receptions for nine yards.

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Two consecutive bad weeks combined with a backup quarterback and a (sometimes?) decent Baltimore defense makes these receivers scary plays in fantasy. As bye weeks begin this week it is possible that some teams do not have better options. However, anyone able should consider benching both of these players and no one should go near them in daily fantasy games.