Fantasy Football Player Notes

There are great expectations for Brock Bowers in his third NFL season following an injury-plagued Year 2. Bowers had five catches for 103 yards in the Raiders' 2025 season opener against the Patriots, but he sustained a PCL injury and bone bruise to his left knee in that game, was clearly hampered over his next three games (with under 50 receiving yards in each) and was shut down for three games. Upon his return, Bowers scored seven touchdowns in eight games before the Raiders, looking to protect their star TE and also secure the No. 1 pick in the draft, placed Bowers on injured reserve, keeping him out of their last two contests. Widely considered one of the best TE prospects to ever enter the league, Bowers had 112 catches for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns on 153 targets as a rookie. With better health in 2026, he has a chance to match or exceed his rookie numbers. The Raiders are talent-starved at wide receiver, so Bowers is poised to be their alpha pass catcher. New head coach Klint Kubiak has been entrusted to repair the Las Vegas offense. No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza offers hope at the QB position, and the Raiders also have TE-friendly QB Kirk Cousins, who was quarterbacking the Falcons last year in Week 15, when TE Kyle Pitts had 11 catches for 166 yards and three TDs. Bowers is worth a look in the back half of the second round or early in the third round of 12-team fantasy drafts.

Ashton Jeanty will be seen as a disappointment for fantasy managers exiting his rookie season. It wasn't a failure, but you can make the argument that, because of his talent and the hype, it didn't live up to lofty expectations. Jeanty was the RB15 in fantasy points per game, finishing with 321 touches and 1,321 total yards. He ranked fifth in snap share, first in opportunity share, seventh in weighted opportunities, and 15th in red zone touches. Among 49 qualifying backs, Jeanty ranked 16th in missed tackle rate and 17th in yards after contact per attempt (per Fantasy Points Data). The ecosystem surrounding Jeanty stunk. The Raiders were 31st in red zone scoring attempts per game and 30th in yards per play. Among those 49 qualifying backs previously, Jeanty had the second-fewest yards before contact per attempt (1.28), and 65% of his rushing yards came after first contact. With Klint Kubiak in town, Fernando Mendoza or Kirk Cousins at the helm, a healthy Brock Bowers, and improved blocking up front, Jeanty could be poised to post a strong RB1 season in his second season.

Tre Tucker quietly put together a solid 2025 season and enters 2026 with a legitimate chance to emerge as the Raiders' top wide receiver, even if Brock Bowers remains the centerpiece of the passing game. The former third-round pick has improved each season, logged nearly every snap last year, and continues to command meaningful downfield volume. New coaches have already praised Tucker's leadership and work ethic, suggesting he will remain heavily involved in the offense.

Mike Washington Jr. could help Ashton Jeanty with the early down lifting in 2026 and slot in as one of the best handcuffs in the NFL. Washington Jr. tested like an alien during the predraft process, leading to his fourth-round draft capital. During his final collegiate season, Washington Jr. broke out, ranking 33rd in yards after contact per attempt and 17th in breakaway rate (per PFF). Washington Jr. has blistering 4.3 speed and the size (6'1", 223 lbs) to be a three-down back if called upon. Stash him as a wonderful handcuff in 2026, where you can.

It wouldn't shock me at all if Jalen Nailor steps up as the clear number two option for the Raiders this season behind Brock Bowers through the air. Nailor isn't facing stiff competition from Tre Tucker, Jack Bech, Dont'e Thornton, and company. Yes, last year Nailor had only a 10.3% target share, 1.19 yards per route run, and a 10.8% first-read share (per Fantasy Points Data). None of those metrics will or should get you excited, but when we dig deeper, his per-route numbers are QUITE INTERESTING. Last year, among 109 qualifying receivers, he was 33rd in separation and 51st in route win rate. As a perimeter receiver among the same sample, his numbers look even better (141 routes) as he was sixth-best in separation and 13th in route win rate. Nailor is the final pick in a draft that could pay dividends and become a weekly WR3 or flex if it all works out.

The No. 1 pick in this year's NFL Draft, Fernando Mendoza might sit behind veteran Kirk Cousins early in the season, but it shouldn't be long before the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner takes over as the Raiders' starter. Mendoza completed 72.0% of his passes last season, averaged 9.3 yards per pass attempt, and threw for 41 touchdowns in 16 games while leading Indiana to an undefeated season and the National Championship. Mendoza has an NFL-caliber arm and terrific ball placement. A student of the game, Mendoza is cool under fire. His functional mobility probably won't translate to much rushing value at the NFL level, although Mendoza could score a few rushing touchdowns every year. Matt Ryan seems like a reasonable comp for Mendoza based on their tools and style of play. We might not see much of a fantasy impact from the rookie in Year 1, particularly when the Raiders are so short on pass-catching firepower beyond TE Brock Bowers, but we can't rule out a fantasy-relevant rookie season for Mendoza.