Fantasy managers who drafted Raiders this summer have learned to live with some weird box scores. The good news is that a few of them have turned into weekly lineup locks, and a couple of others need a closer look before Sunday's trip to New Jersey.
Here is who I would start and who I would leave on the bench.
Start: WR Tre Tucker
Start with a fun nugget for your league chat. Tucker has quietly passed Brock Bowers for the team lead in receiving yards, with 474 to Bowers' 455, and he has four touchdown catches.
He is the serious threat in this offense, and in my opinion he has earned WR2 treatment in most formats. Big plays come in bunches with him, so enjoy the ride.
Start: TE Brock Bowers
Bowers practiced Thursday and Friday fully after being limited Wednesday with a calf injury, which is
the news his fantasy managers were waiting for. He has 34 catches for 455 yards and three touchdowns on 52 targets, including six grabs on eight looks against the Rams, and the offense still runs through him.
If he is active, he is in my lineup. Simple as that.
Start: QB Kirk Cousins
Cousins has thrown for at least 295 yards in back-to-back games, and he has only five interceptions all season, so the turnover risk stays low.
The catch is the matchup. The Jets have allowed the fifth-fewest passing yards per game in the league, so I see him as a solid QB2 or a streaming option with upside rather than a sure thing.
Start: RB Ashton Jeanty (in PPR leagues)
Not to sugarcoat it, Jeanty's legs haven't been the reason to roster him lately. His hands have. He caught all eight of his targets against the Rams, and he has 34 catches for 312 yards and three receiving touchdowns, which keeps him in the flex conversation every week.
The Jets only allow 3.4 catches per game to running backs, tied for fifth-fewest, so lower your expectations a notch. In PPR, he still belongs in a flex spot.
Sit: RB Mike Washington Jr.
The rookie flashed a 21-yard run against the Rams, but he only got six carries. For what it's worth, he still averages 4.9 yards per carry, well ahead of Jeanty. Kubiak's push for more runs could change that, but until Washington's role grows past a handful of touches, he is a bench stash, not a starter.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Raiders Week 8 fantasy start/sit advice for Sunday's game vs. the Jets
