Oakland Raiders Daily Fantasy Team Preview

Vegas Projected Win Total - 5.5

The Raiders won just three games last year, so if they hit the over on this total, they'll have at least doubled their 2014 win total. There are still a number of holes on this roster, but things are looking up. It's possible they found their franchise quarterback in last year's draft and they hit a home run with their 2014 first-round pick, Khalil Mack. They have added talent to the offensive side of the ball at the skill positions in the draft and in free agency, and the result is a more interesting team from a DFS perspective for this year.

Impact Fantasy Players

Latavius Murray - Murray is an absolute burner, and it's mind boggling that he was buried behind Maurice Jones-Drew and Darren McFadden as long as he was last year. He started just three games, but he finished with 424 yards rushing on only 82 carries for an impressive 5.2 yards per attempt. His most impressive showing was an injury-shortened game on Thursday Night Football in which he blew up for 112 yards rushing and his only two rushing touchdowns on just four carries in week 11. In his last four games of the season (week 12-through-15), he twice bested 20 carries and eclipsed 75 yards rushing in each of those contests. In his least impressive game rushing in that four game stretch, a 10 carry 37 yards rushing effort in week 15 against the Broncos, he added four receptions for 60 yards. He wasn't a big yards after contact back. His 2.0 yards after contact per attempt (YCo/Att) ranked 46th out of 57 backs who played 25% or more of their team's snap, according to Pro Football Focus. It was a small sample, though, and given his build (6-foot-3 and 230 pounds), I'd expect him to build on that number this year. His upside is exciting, but Murray has never been tasked with being a feature back. Even his college career leaves some red flags flying about his ability to carry the load. He never bested 200 carries in his four-year college career and eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing in only his senior year. Expect Murray to be the lead back right out of the gate, but a forthcoming player could cut into his snap count and production a bit.

Michael Crabtree - Crabtree leaves one Cali team for another. He hasn't looked like the same player he was prior to tearing his Achilles tendon before the 2013 season. His 2012 regular season production (85 receptions for 1,105 receiving yards and nine touchdowns) and monstrous postseason (20 receptions for 285 yards receiving and three touchdowns in three games) illustrate what his upside is, but the 21 games he's played since that breakout 2012 season haven't painted the most optimistic picture for him recapturing that success. He signed a one-year prove-it contract with the Raiders, and at just 27-years old, there is certainly a chance for a bounce back. Monitor his preseason play, as quarterback Derek Carr has tons of new toys to play with and it remains to be seen who will emerge as his favorite options.

Impact Fantasy Rookies

Amari Cooper - Cooper's exclusion from the impact fantasy players above was merely a formality as he was clearly going to be featured in this section. He projects to be the most valuable fantasy player on this roster as soon as game one this year. The Alabama product projects to be NFL ready, but it's not as if he's lacking upside. He's coming off a monster season in the meat grinder SEC. Cooper reeled in 124 receptions for 1,727 yards receiving and 16 touchdown grabs. He caught a staggering 31 touchdowns in 40 games played and reached or exceeded 1,000 yards receiving in two of his three collegiate seasons. At 6-foot-1 and 211 pounds, he'll be a red zone threat right away. The measurables and production are there with Cooper, and he should emerge as the top pass catcher and offensive weapon for the men wearing silver and black.

Storylines

How quickly can a young offense led by a second-year quarterback, first time feature back and completely revamped receiving corps mesh? There are a lot of new pieces in Oakland, and while there is reason to be intrigued, it's possible that it takes a bit for all of the new pieces to fit together. It should also be noted that the club signed defensive-minded head coach Jack Del Rio, which is a bit of a bummer from a fantasy perspective. Things are trending in the right way for the Raiders, can they keep things headed in a positive direction?

Stock Watch

Up - Derek Carr

Carr was thrown into the fire in week one last year and started all 16 games. He took care of the football and received valuable playing time that should help accelerate the learning curve. The cupboards were almost entirely bare for him last year, as the pass catchers he had to throw to were a total joke. In fact, his "number-one" wide receiver, which I say loosely, was James Jones. Jones Is no longer a member of the Raiders as they axed him after one year of a three-year deal. It's impossible to view Carr's stock as anything but on the rise. Even though that doesn't necessarily make him a great option in DFS yet, he could very easily be before year's end.

Up - Roy Helu Jr.

Helu wasn't long for the feature-back job in Washington, as he was supplanted as the starter in his second year in the NFL by Alfred Morris. He enters a more open competition for touches, and at the least, Helu has shown off superb pass catching skills. Last year, he hauled in 42 receptions for 477 yards receiving and two touchdowns. If Murray faulters as a workhorse back, Helu's value could get a huge lift as a result of being leaned on more as a runner. In his rookie year, Helu totaled 640 yards rushing on 151 attempts. At the least, flex status is well within Helu's reach, and the ceiling exceeds that by leaps and bounds.

Projections

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Daily Fantasy Outlook

Gamers won't be doing back flips rejoicing over rostering players from the Raiders, but they're a much more interesting offense this year than they were last year. Much of the value of the offense will ultimately be reliant on Carr's development this year. If he makes a sizable leap in production this year, all parties will get a lift. If, however, he suffers some hiccups, it will be an inconsistent year in which there's a boom-or-bust quality exhibited by the key players on the offense.