The Oakland Raiders haven't exactly been lighting the scoreboard on fire recently. They ranked 16th in the NFL in scoring offense in 2011 before coming in at 26th in that category this past season.
It looks like 2013 will start with plenty of questions on the offensive side of the ball. Who will start at quarterback? Can Darren McFadden stay healthy? Who is going to replace Brandon Myers at tight end? How these questions are answered will impact Oakland's success on offense. They'll also give us an understanding of just how many players from this squad we can rely on to have outstanding fantasy seasons. Here is eDraft's Oakland Raiders fantasy preview for the 2013 season.
Matt Flynn, Quarterback
Flynn comes over from the Seattle Seahawks after failing to beat Russell Wilson out for the starting gig in the Pacific Northwest. The veteran has only started two games in five NFL seasons after Green Bay made him a seventh-round pick back in 2008.
He did record nine touchdown passes compared to two interceptions in those two starts, a year apart in Green Bay. The sample size obviously isn't there to go on history as it relates to fantasy projections. You can, however, look at how Oakland's offense might be run this season. It will likely look to play a ball-control possesion scheme in which the passing game acts as a secondary threat to McFadden and the running game. In this, don't expect Flynn to throw a lot of passes on a consistent basis. Of course this is all moot if Flynn isn't able to beat out Terrelle Pryor or rookie Tyler Wilson for the starting gig.
Projected 2013 Stats: 61.5 completion percentage, 3,150 yards, 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Darren McFadden, Running Back
When healthy, "DMC" is one of the most productive running backs in the entire league. Through five NFL seasons, McFadden is averaging 85 yards per outing. Extrapolated over the course of a 16-game seasons, that equates to nearly 1,400 total yards. Of course this would make McFadden a solid RB1 in standard 12-team leagues.
The problem here is that McFadden has only played in 73 percent of Oakland's games since he became a first-round pick back in 2008. Over that span, he is averaging 4.6 missed games per season. In fact, McFadden hasn't played in more than 13 games in any of his first five seasons.
Not only will Oakland be relying on McFadden to stay healthy and produce, a lot of "risk-taking" fantasy owners will be relying on him as a top-tier RB1 option.
The good news here is hat Oakland is planning on going with more of a down-hill, power running game rather than the zone-blocking system we saw last year. This fits McFadden's skill set to a T. In addition, he'll likely get an average of 20 touches per game. If healthy, the indicators are there for fantasy success in 2013.
Projected 2013 Statistics: 1,050 rushing yards, 30 receptions, 250 yards, 1,300 total yards and seven total touchdowns
Marcel Reece, Running Back
Reece was a surprising fantasy add through the waiver wires last season. In a four-game stretch (Weeks 9-12), Reece averaged about 14 fantasy points per outing. During that span, he tallied nearly 500 total yards. In terms of PPR leagues, Reece put up 52 receptions throughout the duration of the season.
He'll likely see a down tick in production if McFadden proves he can stay healthy. That's the big quesiton mark as it relates to Reece. With DMC in the game, he's nothing more than a good blocking fullback that will get a few touches here and there. With McFadden out of the lineup, Reece is a solid FLEX option in standard/PPR 12-team leagues.
Projected 2013 Stats: 320 rushing yards, 30 receptions, 240 yards and two total touchdowns
Denarius Moore, Wide Receiver
Moore has been a surprisingly effective receiver for Oakland in two NFL seasons. Since being selected in the fifth round of the 2011 draft, Moore has tallied 1,359 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Not bad for a team that has had issues passing the ball during that span.
Expect Moore to take that next step and be Oakland's unquestioned No. 1 receiver this upcoming season. With that in mind, Moore needs to imprve his catch rate on the outside. He caught only 46.1 percent of the passes thrown in his direction last year. That's simply not going to get it done.
Look for more targets to go to this talented young receiver. It's now up to him to become a more consistent performer in the passing game for Oakland. If that happens, Moore will be a solid under-the-radar fantasy option.
Projected 2013 Statistics: 60 receptions, 880 yards and eight touchdowns
Rod Streater, Wide Receiver
Yet another unheralded receiver that seems to be going place in Oakland, Streater surprised a great deal of people as an undrafted free agent last year. He caught 39 passes for nearly 600 yards and three scores in 16 games (two starts). He also led Raiders' receivers 54.9 catch rate, which isn't too great in of itself. Streater will likely open the season as Oakland's starter opposite Moore. This means that his targets should increase from the 4.4 he received per game last season. Still, a year or two away from being a decent bench option in standard redraft leagues.
Projected 2013 Statistics: 50 receptions, 700 yards and five touchdowns