The Las Vegas Raiders will face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9. Here’s fantasy football start-sit advice for every Raiders skill player who has the potential to make a fantasy impact during the game.
Looking for more lineup advice? Head over to our Week 9 Fantasy Start-Sit Cheat Sheet, where we cover every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Gardner Minshew II, QB
I understand wanting to target the Bengals’ defense, but I can’t get there with Gardner Minshew II.
Minshew has yet to finish a week better than QB18 this season and is masking a talent deficiency on this roster with short passes that do very little damage (his average depth of throw over his past four games: 8.3 yards, 7.7, 6.2, 4.6).
Even in this plus spot, the Raiders have an implied total of under 20 points. There are a handful of offenses to ignore altogether and this is one of them.
Alexander Mattison, RB
Alexander Mattison might be the lead man in Vegas, and this might be the worst run defense in terms of success rate, but are 3.2 yards per carry as a part of a struggling offense really the way you want your matchup to be decided?
Mattison is a low-end Flex play thanks to 16 targets over the past four games and bankable volume. However, his narrow range of outcomes isn’t appealing if you’re in the business of chasing upside.
Jakobi Meyers, WR
What made Meyers good on Sunday? A season-low 5.8-yard aDOT and 42.2% slot usage (under 23% in each of his two games before his injury), which is the only path for me to trust anyone in an offense as limited as it is.
Meyers showcased the ability to make the most of this situation last season with eight scores, and while this situation is a little different sans Davante Adams, he’s back on the Flex radar against the sixth-worst red-zone defense in the league.
The game script figures to work in his favor, and if we can get him 8-10 targets, the percentages say that a top-35 week is likely. For reference, I’d rather play Meyers in his new role as the WR1 in Vegas than Tank Dell operating under the same promotion in Houston.
Brock Bowers, TE
The star rookie has been either a top-five producer at the position or outside of the top 15 in every game this season. That can be a frustrating profile — but not at the tight end position. Having access to an elite upside is what drives decision-making because so few players have it.
Bowers’ target share elevates in one-score games (27.3%), and that’s a sign that this team is very willing to label him as the alpha in this offense. This offense may not put him in a position to be the most consistent producer, but that doesn’t mean you second-guess his status in your starting lineup. Not this week. Not this year. Not for the rest of the 2020s.
Las Vegas Raiders at Cincinnati Bengals Insights
Las Vegas Raiders
Team: The NFL team average is 4.5 yards per carry—the Raiders failed to reach 3.5 in five of eight games last season (Week 8: 21 carries for 33 yards).
QB: Gardner Minshew’s average depth of throw over his past four appearances (ending with Sunday’s mark against the Chiefs): 8.3 – 7.7 – 6.2 – 4.6.
Offense: The Raiders either scored or went three-and-out on every drive on Sunday against the Chiefs.
Defense: Before Sunday, the Raiders hadn’t allowed more than five third-down conversions in a game this season (28.9% conversion rate). Amidst Kermit Gate, Patrick Mahomes picked up 12-of-16 (75%) opportunities.
Fantasy: What made Jakobi Meyers great on Sunday? A season-low 5.8% aDOT and 42.2% slot usage (under 23% in each of his two games before his injury).
Betting: The Raiders have covered five of their past seven road games, with three of those covers coming by more than six points.
Cincinnati Bengals
Team: The Bengals have three wins this season – against the Panthers, Giants, and Browns.
QB: Joe Burrow’s red zone completion percentage is down to 53.7% from 67.4% last season
Offense: The Bengals have averaged under 5.0 yards per play three times this season, two of which have come in the past two weeks.
Defense: Cincinnati blitzed 28.6% of the time on Sunday (their highest since Week 3), but created pressure on a season-low 13.6% of Philadelphia dropbacks.
Fantasy: With Tee Higgins sidelined, Mike Gesicki’s role reappeared. The tight end had twice as many targets on Sunday (eight) as he had in the month prior.
Betting: The Bengals are 0-4 ATS at home this season, failing to cover three of those games by double figures.