The Las Vegas Raiders pulled out an overtime win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1 at home. It was a game where it became abundantly clear who the No. 1 receiver on the Raiders is: Darren Waller. The tight end was targeted 19 times and hauled in 10 catches for 105 yards and a TD.
There are few teams where the clear top receiving option is a tight end. Because of this, it will be difficult to project the Raiders’ wide receiving core and who to play week-to-week. Let’s take a look at their depth at wideout and who you should and shouldn’t play in fantasy football.
Fantasy Football analysis: Raiders WRs Henry Ruggs, Bryan Edwards, Hunter Renfrow
Waller got nearly 20 targets on 56 pass attempts by QB Derek Carr in Week 1. The three WRs listed above combined for 19 targets. So it’s clear Carr is going to continue to funnel targets to Waller over the three wideouts. Renfrow got the most of the group with 9 out of the slot. Ruggs is the burner/deep threat and Edwards appears to be the possession guy for Las Vegas. While Renfrow (47 snaps) got more targets, both Ruggs (56) and Edwards (57) outsnapped the slot man.
Fantasy Start/Sit Recommendation
This wide receiver group is tough to figure out. Edwards appears to be the safest option given his snap count and efficiency with 4 catches for 81 yards in the opener. Ruggs likely won’t be targeted as much as Edwards and is more streaky, but has pop.
All three wide receivers are nothing more than FLEX considerations in most standard fantasy football leagues. In a 10-team league, you probably don’t need to pick between any of these three. In 12-team leagues, Edwards and Ruggs are OK FLEX plays. Renfrow seems better suited for PPR leagues. In Week 2, the Raiders face a tough Steelers defense. It may be tough for Carr to push the ball down the field against Pittsburgh’s pass rush. If that’s the case, I’ll lean Edwards and Renfrow over Ruggs.