Fantasy Football Player Notes

Jacobs had an excellent rookie season, despite missing three games with injury. He flashed explosiveness and the ability to continue to gain yards after contact. To the extent there was a downside, it's that he barely factored in as a receiver (just 27 targets). Although he's expressed a desire to be far more involved in the passing game, the presence of pass-catching running backs, including Jalen Richard, makes that less likely, though the recent trade of Lynn Bowden Jr. helps Jacobs' cause in that regard. Regardless of any increased work in the passing game, Jacob should have a workhorse role and be drafted as a borderline RB1.

There was just one tight end in all of football who finished all 16 games with at least 7.0 PPR points. It was Waller. Not only that, but he also offered a ceiling, hitting 16-plus points on five separate occasions. The issue with relying on that again is the new competition for targets. As much as we don't want to consider Jason Witten a threat, he's going to steal some targets. Not just him, but Henry Ruggs, Lynn Bowden, and Bryan Edwards are all guys who'll demand some sort of target share. I still view Waller as a top-five tight end, though he's teetering there.

It appears that the Raiders will start by using Ruggs in the slot, which makes more sense than most realize. He's fast, sure. However, that's not his best attribute. He's slippery in the open field, takes great angles and utilizes his speed to get away from defenders. The best thing to do is get Ruggs the ball in his hands and let him create. Did you know that Jerry Jeudy had more than double the deep-ball receptions that Ruggs did while at Alabama? It's because Ruggs was used a lot on screens and reverses. Putting him in the slot will manufacture touches to get the ball in his hands and let him create. He shouldn't be pigeonholed to the slot, and I don't think he will be, but playing there is not a bad thing. Did you know slot targets are worth 10.8 percent more than perimeter targets? Seriously, I've done the research (can be read here). On top of that, Derek Carr had the lowest average depth of target among quarterbacks last year, so should love someone like Ruggs who creates after the catch. When a team spends a No. 12 overall pick on someone, they're going to find ways to get him the ball, so finding out the slot is his primary home makes you feel better about his potential in year one. I'd say his floor should be around 70 targets with a ceiling of 100 targets. He should also get some carries mixed in. Because of that combined with his one-play upside, he's worth WR3 consideration. Fortunately, you don't have to use a high pick on him, as he's going around the 11th-12th round. Even if you reach a round or two, I don't think you'll be disappointed if you have him on your roster as a WR4 with tremendous weekly upside.

You may or not know that Mike Mayock had an affinity towards Mariota during the 2015 NFL Draft. He's the GM of the Las Vegas Raiders, so when he got the opportunity to sign Mariota, he did. This is not great news for Carr, who has been solid, but not irreplaceable over the last two seasons under the Jon Gruden/Mayock regime. But instead of replacing him, they gave him competition, even if it's one he should win fairly easily. He's going to have a much better surrounding cast in 2020, as the Raiders drafted three skill-position players in the top three rounds of the draft, including wide receiver Henry Ruggs at No. 12 overall. The issue with liking Carr, however, is that he's never going to be an every-week starting quarterback in 1QB leagues; we've learned that by now. He's also not someone you can fully trust as your QB2 in Superflex/2QB formats now that he has actual competition on the roster.

If the Raiders are indeed using Henry Ruggs in the slot, you need to understand that Renfrow's role is essentially gone, as he played 71 percent of his snaps in the slot last year. Yes, there are Renfrow supporters out there due to his high yards per route run in 2019, but if he's not running routes, it really doesn't matter. Given there are much more talented options on the roster, he's not someone you should roster. Even if Ruggs were to miss time, Renfrow would be a Cole Beasley-type option, which is hardly exciting.

If you're someone who listens to the news blurbs about players, you'd see that Derek Carr said Edwards reminds him of Davante Adams. Knowing they played together at California State, that's quite the compliment. Still, by statements the team has made, it appears that Edwards is on the outside of the starting lineup looking in at the start of the year, though that shouldn't last long. Here's my final line from Edwards' scouting report this offseason: If he gets an opportunity to play (was projected for 3rd/4th round), he can produce in the NFL. If they're planning on using Henry Ruggs in the slot, Edwards would make a good complement to Tyrell Williams on the perimeter. That would leave Hunter Renfrow out of the equation, as he's pretty much a slot-only receiver. So, again, if they're being truthful about Ruggs in the slot, Edwards should get some playing time immediately in 3WR sets, making him an intriguing pick in one of the last few rounds. You need players like him on your roster who you can cut bait on almost immediately if he's not getting playing time.

It's odd that Richard was re-signed to the Raiders roster when they said they wanted to get Josh Jacobs more involved in the passing game, as Richard is the primary competition. Not just that, but they then drafted running back/wide receiver Lynn Bowden in the second round. However we slice it, Richard isn't likely to top the 43 targets he got in 2019, which makes him a non-factor in fantasy leagues.

Agholor has never made the most of his opportunities, struggling with drops throughout his five-year career. Now with the Raiders, even if a fresh start would have done him some good, there's simply no room for him to find fantasy production. Even with Tyrell Williams out for the season, behind Henry Ruggs, and Hunter Renfrow, not to mention the presence of Bryan Edwards and Zay Jones, it's almost impossible to envision a scenario where fantasy managers are starting Agholor at any point.