Notes: - All games will be available Friday
- Green highlight indicates plus matchup (top eight)
- Red highlight indicates negative matchup (bottom eight)
- Injury notes, Lines and Totals updated Sunday morning
Raiders @ Broncos- (Fessel) Line: DEN -9.5 Total: 42.5
DEN FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.30
DEN FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.26
DEN FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.32
DEN FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.24
Currently ranked RB15 in fantasy points per game, Ashton Jeanty
remains one of Thursday night’s more volatile, yet enticing
options. His balanced scoring profile (three rushing touchdowns
and three receiving) gives him RB1 upside most weeks.
The Broncos defense has allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points
to running backs, but five different RBs have managed 16+ points
against them this year. That keeps Jeanty squarely in the RB2
mix, with upside for more.
With Jakobi Meyers traded away, Tre Tucker looks poised to step
into the WR1 role for Las Vegas. He’ll remain a clear second
in the target hierarchy behind Brock Bowers, but no other receiver
on the roster appears ready to challenge him for volume.
Tucker should return to the 5–9 target range he saw earlier in
the season while Bowers was limited. The Broncos aren’t the easiest
draw for his first week in this expanded role, but with Patrick
Surtain II sidelined (pectoral), Tucker has a shot to produce
as a deep flex play.
Geno Smith benefited greatly from Bowers’ three-touchdown
return last week, but the loss of Meyers once again narrows his
options. That’s a problem against a Broncos defense that
just held C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills to a combined 10.6 fantasy
points — and that was without Surtain. Geno belongs on benches
or waivers this week.
Among Raiders receivers, Tyler Lockett reunites with his former
QB but showed little chemistry last season and drew just one target
in his Las Vegas debut. Rookies Jack Bech (zero snaps last week)
and Dont’e Thornton (healthy scratch) may be active this week,
but neither is expected to hold a stable role yet. In deep leagues,
Bech is a stash-worthy long shot, nothing more.
LV FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.12
LV FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.14
LV FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.6
LV FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.29
Bo Nix faces a Raiders defense that’s been inconsistent
against quarterbacks — holding Drake Maye and Daniel Jones
below 17 points while surrendering 22+ to Trevor Lawrence and
Marcus Mariota. Nix himself has been up and down, but sits at
QB10 in FPts/G and should remain a top-10 option against a defense
allowing the 12th-most points to the position.
Courtland Sutton managed just one catch last week — fortunately,
a 30-yard touchdown. That was his third one-catch game of the
season and fifth with one or fewer receptions in the last two
years. Sutton’s volume volatility is real, but his red-zone
role and status as Denver’s best receiver keep him in the
mid-WR2 tier against a vulnerable Raiders secondary.
Troy Franklin struggled again in Week 9 (4-27-0 on 10 targets)
and has now posted under 30 yards in three of his last four. Still,
his volume (eight targets per game over that span) and three touchdowns
in the last month make him a playable flex. The Raiders have allowed
the sixth-most points to WRs, so Franklin could find more room
to operate this week.
J.K. Dobbins remains the Broncos’ clear lead-back, averaging
16 touches per game over the last three weeks despite being outscored
5–0 by RJ Harvey during that stretch. Dobbins has maintained goal-line
control (3 carries to 1 for Harvey) and should deliver solid RB2
production against the Raiders.
RJ Harvey has scored in three-straight games but remains locked
into a limited role. He’s played fewer than 20 snaps in
each of those contests and handled just 13 carries total across
the three. That makes him nearly touchdown-dependent — a
high-variance dart throw in deeper leagues.
After stringing together five-straight games with at least four
receptions, Evan Engram was blanked in Week 9 (3 targets, 0 catches).
He finished fourth on the team in targets, behind Franklin and
both running backs.
The Raiders have allowed just two tight ends to top seven fantasy
points all season, making Engram a shaky bet for a bounce-back.
Even with bye weeks thinning the position, he’s no better
than a mid-TE2 this week.
