Since 2021, there have been 83 players with at least 50 games played, and Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers ranks 17th among them in receptions per game (4.97). For context, that ranks him ahead of Mike Evans, DeVonta Smith, Tee Higgins, DK Metcalf, Terry McLaurin, and others.
Meyers may lack the splash play ability that those options have, but in this era of umbrella defenses, couldn’t you argue that what he does on a weekly basis is uniquely valuable?
The Raiders WR isn’t being drafted as a top-35 receiver despite an upgrade under center and very limited competition for targets outside of the historic Brock Bowers. Lock him in after the first 60-70 players are off the board in your PPR draft this summer?
Jakobi Meyers’ Fantasy Outlook
Meyers wasn’t drafted coming out of NC State and evolved into a big slot option during his four seasons with the Patriots. Much was made of his career-opening scoring drought (38 games and 198 targets), and that stigma sullied how he was thought of in the fantasy community.
He caught 83 balls for New England in 2021 and was largely ignored by the fantasy football community entering 2022. He then tripled his career touchdown output in 14 games, and guess what?
Crickets. He signed a three-year deal with the Raiders, and any forward momentum was lost. I had to put air in his tires for the entire summer to get our users to consider taking him in the late stages of their 2023 drafts.
He paid off. He cleared 800 receiving yards for a third straight season and doubled his career touchdown total with eight for the Raiders. Scoring is fickle, and we saw Meyers fall back in that regard a season ago (four on 129 targets), but, in a brutal offense (26th in yards per pass, 27th in passer rating, and 29th in scoring) that was seeing Bowers explode, PPR fantasy managers were still satisfied with their investment.
- Puka Nacua
- Ja’Marr Chase
- Justin Jefferson
That could just be a random list of elite receivers in today’s game.
It could also be a list of the players who had more games with 90+ receiving yards in the second half of last season than Meyers.
Jakobi Meyers propagandapic.twitter.com/SyPXeU3NY2
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) June 26, 2025
During his time with Vegas. Meyers has seen his slot usage decline. Is that the result of his no longer being able to win in that regard or the need for his savvy elsewhere to try to mask the inefficiencies of this offense?
DJ Turner spent plenty of time in the slot last season for the Raiders. What if Las Vegas prioritizes that area on the field now that they have some competence at quarterback?
Meyers averaged more PPR points per slot target last season than Bowers, and we could see that usage spike this year as the Raiders move closer to respectability on that side of the ball. In 2024, Geno Smith led the league in passes thrown to the slot (197) and completed 77.7% of those attempts, the fourth-highest mark in the NFL.
Hmm, interesting.
MORE: Free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
Our FREE Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator has Meyers’ value settling in around WR40. That’s in the same range as receivers with star potential with lesser QB play (Chris Olave and Jerry Jeudy), fantasy stars from yesteryear whose best ball is behind them (Deebo Samuel and Stefon Diggs), and the race for average at the top of the Green Bay WR depth chart.
For whatever reason, Meyers’ name still doesn’t carry with it the value of those in this range. The price isn’t as disrespectful as it was in years past, but it would seem that managers are happy to overlook him, and I, again, think that’s a mistake.
Frank Ammirante’s Jakobi Meyers Fantasy Projection
Jakobi Meyers is one of the most underappreciated veteran wideouts in the NFL. He is a 29-year-old coming off a career year, catching 87-of-129 targets for 1,027 yards and four touchdowns.Â
As the No. 1 wideout for the Raiders, we can expect Meyers to be second in line in targets, behind generational tight end Brock Bowers. With the quarterback upgrade to Geno Smith, it’s an encouraging time for the entire Raiders offense. You also have to like that Chip Kelly is now calling plays. He loves to play at a fast pace, allowing for more opportunities for players like Meyers.
My one concern here is that I expect the Raiders to run at a higher rate this season after drafting Ashton Jeanty. We all know that head coach Pete Carroll loves to run the ball. I’m betting that Jeanty will be the focal point of this offense.Â
With that in mind, I don’t see as much upside with Meyers. However, this is already baked into his price, as you can often get Meyers outside of the top 35 wideouts.
