The fantasy football landscape shifts each week, bringing fresh opportunities and unexpected challenges that separate the prepared from the pretenders. Savvy managers know that last week’s performance tells only part of the story, and diving deeper into the underlying metrics reveals the accurate picture.
This week presents some intriguing decisions. Here’s insight about key Las Vegas Raiders players heading into their matchup with the Chicago Bears to help you craft a winning lineup.
Geno Smith, QB
Geno Smith follows up a zero-touchdown, three-interception game with a three-touchdown, zero-interception game because, of course, he does.
There was plenty of garbage time on Sunday in Washington to allow Smith to rack up counting numbers, and that’s great if you were forced into some weird spot where you had to play him, but I took away nothing in terms of sticky growth from the veteran.
READ MORE: Soppe’s Week 4 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em: Analysis for Every Player in Every Game
He and Tre Tucker combined for one of the more unique DFS money-making tandems of the season, and while I don’t doubt that the Raiders will fall behind like this again, counting on it is dangerous at best.
Smith is the definition of league average and can funnel targets to the two players you need him to. Expecting more than that is a mistake on your part, especially when playing behind an offensive line that has left Ashton Jeanty wondering what open space looks like through three weeks.
Ashton Jeanty, RB
Jeanty faces the worst defense in the league this week in terms of yards allowed before first contact, and that might just give the rookie a chance to show the pros what so many college kids fell victim to a year ago.
Jeanty in space.
We’ve yet to see it behind a struggling offensive line, but if they can muster even an average performance in this spot, Jeanty may double his stat line for the season on Sunday (147 yards and a touchdown).
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Since 2016, the highest percentage of rush yards coming after contact in their first three career games (minimum 20 carries):
- Ashton Jeanty: 101.5%
- Cam Akers (2020): 95.5%
- Quinshon Judkins (2025): 92.9%
A big week this week wouldn’t mean that all is fixed in Sin City, but it would give us a glimpse as to what is possible should the Raiders find a way to build this roster from the inside out in the coming years.
Jakobi Meyers, WR
Picks like Jakobi Meyers are the ones that consistently competitive fantasy managers make.
Active streaks, 60+ receiving yards
- Jakobi Meyers (5)
- Quentin Johnston and Puka Nacua (4)
- Keenan Allen and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (3)
He’s never going to give you the Tre Tucker game from last week, but he sucks some of the risk out of your lineup and allows your stars, the players you were most confident in at the draft, to dictate your fate.
What more could you ask for?
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The first pass of last week was a 45-yard pass to Meyers, his longest catch as a member of this franchise. Spike plays aren’t really a part of his profile, but given the construction of this roster, we might see more shot plays while keeping the high-floor role.
Meyers isn’t a league winner, but he’s a reason you win leagues.
Brock Bowers, TE
Brock Bowers is the same player he was in 2022 and the same player he was in Week 1, and that much I feel good about.
The combination of athleticism, route savvy, and feel for the game is second to none at the position, but fantasy football, like it or not, is a team game, and Bowers’ team isn’t helping him.
The offensive line is getting thrown under the bus in the Ashton Jeanty conversations, and that’s right, but it’s also subtracting from Bowers’ bottom line. They can’t keep Smith comfortable, and if that’s going to continue (at this point, why would we expect it to change?), the range of outcomes is wide.
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Scroll across the internet, and you’ll see memes about C.J. Stroud in his rookie season compared to the rest of his time in the NFL. You don’t have to look hard for Spencer Rattler slander, and while we all like the potential of Cam Ward, he’s not there yet.
All of those QBs have a better non-blitzed passer rating than Smith this season. Teams are not motivated to blitz because they can generate pressure with their front four, and that means dud games for Bowers are inevitable (76 yards in the two games following the 103-yard 2022 debut).
That, of course, doesn’t rule out the big games from an elite player, and that’s why you play Bowers weekly, but I’d be comfortable with selling him after his next big game for a Tucker Kraft or Jake Ferguson package.
