Eric Moody discusses the Oakland Raiders following their Week 4 loss to the Chicago Bears.
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The Oakland Raiders were favored heading to Chicago to face off against the Bears. The team ended up losing the game 22-20. Now owners of a 2-2 record, the Raiders find themselves with the Denver Broncos coming to town this week for a division matchup. This article will address four fantasy observations I had while watching the game.
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Do the Raiders coaching staff believe in running back Latavius Murray?
Murray rushed 16 times for 49 yards and caught 3-of-5 targets for 12 yards against the Chicago Bears. He received a negative grade from Pro Football Focus and recorded the lowest Elusive Rating (4.3) of a Week 4 running back with his workload. It is a figure that boils down a runner’s success beyond the point of being helped by his blockers. Murray also injured his shoulder in the first half and was benched after a fumble in the fourth quarter. Could this be a sign of things to come?
The matchup against the Bears defense was one that we all expected Murray to exploit. It was disappointing to fantasy owners that he was not more productive. Roy Helu only played 13 snaps, but produced 35 total yards and one touchdown. He only played 12 snaps in Week 1 through 3. I anticipate Murray to continue to be the Raiders lead running back moving forward, but he did leave the door open for Helu to become a bigger part of this offense.
The key fantasy takeaway is to be proactive and stash Helu on your bench if your team has the available space. He is likely available on waivers in many leagues due to his slow preseason and start to the year.
Can the Raiders defense have a week not allowing a top four tight end?
The Oakland Raiders D/ST has hemorrhaged fantasy points to opposing tight ends. This is a strategy that many fantasy owners have exploited in daily and season-long fantasy leagues. Here is a breakdown of how opposing tight ends have fared against the Raiders over the first four weeks of the season:
Week | Name | Team | Targets | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns |
1 | Tyler Eifert | Bengals | 10 | 9 | 104 | 2 |
2 | Crockett Gillmore | Ravens | 6 | 5 | 88 | 2 |
3 | Gary Barnidge | Browns | 9 | 6 | 105 | 1 |
4 | Martellus Bennett | Bears | 13 | 11 | 83 | 1 |
The Raiders play the Broncos, Chargers, Jets, Steelers, and Vikings over their next five games. The key to having an edge in fantasy football is to be proactive and not reactive.
Could this be the statistical floor for Amari Cooper?
Cooper caught 4-of-9 targets for 49 yards and a touchdown Week 4 against the Bears. He currently leads all wide receivers in yards after the catch with 192 yards. Here is a breakdown of his first four games as a professional football player:
Week | Targets | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns |
1 | 8 | 5 | 47 | 0 |
2 | 11 | 7 | 109 | 1 |
3 | 9 | 8 | 134 | 0 |
4 | 9 | 4 | 49 | 1 |
Cooper has averaged nine targets, six receptions, and 84 receiving yards per game. He has also produced a solid 2.32 receiving yards per route run via Pro Football Focus. I do not anticipate fantasy owners complaining if a “bad day” for Cooper is his Week 4 stat line. Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has a rating of 112.3 when targeting him so far this season. The key area of opportunity for Cooper revolves around his lack of deep targets. His targets have only traveled through the air 7.4 yards according to Pro Football Focus. He is an excellent WR3 or FLEX for your fantasy team and has WR2 upside on any given week.
Can Derek Carr continue to be a top 15 fantasy quarterback?
Carr completed 20-of-33 passes for 196 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception against the Bears. He has averaged 0.52 fantasy points per drop back through Week 4. This is a higher average than Matt Ryan, Eli Manning, Andrew Luck, and Russell Wilson.
Carr has QB1 upside in the right matchup. He is a great quarterback to pair with another for a streaming strategy. The Raiders defense has given up the fifth most yards per play (5.8) and the second most yards (1,615) in the league through Week 4. The team is likely to be trailing most of the season and this negative game script benefits Carr. I would consider adding him if he is still available in your fantasy league.