Brock Bowers is the latest rookie tight end to enter the NFL with plenty of hype from a fantasy football perspective. The Las Vegas Raiders took Bowers 13th overall to make him the third tight end taken in the first round in the last four years.
While Bowers doesn’t quite have the hype of Kyle Pitts in 2021, he’s not far away. What is Bowers’ fantasy outlook for 2024, and is he a good fantasy pick at his current ADP?
Brock Bowers’ Fantasy Profile for the 2024 NFL Season
No fantasy football outlook has been more hyped than Bowers’ in 2024. He entered the league with an extensive snap catalog (over 1,000 snaps and 40 games played). The issue with Bowers’ fantasy outlook revolves around the age-old question of talent vs. location.
The Raiders were not ideal for helping Bowers’ fantasy value skyrocket in his rookie season, so we need to identify if the talent he provides is enough to overcome a bad landing spot.
To truly identify Bowers’ fantasy stock, we have to understand what he brings to the field as a player. Tight ends in the NFL must be able to catch passes to propel themselves to another level.
However, at their core, they must also be able to support in the run game; this is crucial within Antonio Pierce’s offense.
Thankfully for Pierce, Bowers is a powerful and reliable blocker who can help wreak havoc as a lead blocker, especially when his team runs a counter. This run-blocking skill already has fantasy managers using team names such as “Bowers Before The King” to show his dominance on the field.
Bowers’ game does come with issues as a talent on the field. He can be stiff when running routes, and his top speed takes a minute to achieve. However, Bowers can play the position at a high level when push comes to shove.
Is Bowers a Good Fantasy Pick?
Can Bowers overcome his landing spot with that opportunity in 2024? We don’t believe he can. The issue with the Raiders is a lack of passing attempts within Pierce’s system.
Since he was catapulted into the head coach role, Pierce has featured a run-heavy scheme. According to TruMedia, from Halloween night (when Josh McDaniels was fired) through the rest of the season, the Raiders had the 18th-most pass attempts at 295. That low quantity led to the 10th-worst time of possession (TOP) in the NFL during that time frame.
To truly understand Bowers’ fantasy outlook, we must look at who is throwing him the ball. The Raiders have a quarterback battle in camp between Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell, and neither has exactly dominated under center.
With respect to completion percentage, TruMedia ranks Minshew 26th and O’Connell 27th. We’ve yet to see either QB run away with the starting job through camp, but their struggles do not inspire success for the incoming rookie TE.
Finally, another thorn in Bowers’ side for optimal fantasy value is having another tight end with talent in the room. Michael Mayer was the 35th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, so he won’t just fade into oblivion with Bowers entering the league. Instead, depending on the package Pierce delivers on the field, we could see both tight ends in more of a platoon.
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To project Bowers dominating is to hope that history doesn’t repeat itself. Most rookie tight ends need time to develop into a fantasy football asset. Bowers could be a great trade target after his bye week in Week 10, but with the state of the passing offense, we would fade this rookie for his first year.
Bowers has the talent, but the offense will limit him if the Raiders decide to run first, throw to Davante Adams next, and toss everyone else in later.