When considering the Las Vegas Raiders from a fantasy football perspective in 2025, things are pretty cut-and-dry. Brock Bowers is the No. 1 tight end, and rookie running back Ashton Jeanty is in position to be an instant stud.
Beyond them, there is a legit undervalued sleeper in wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, and a quarterback in Geno Smith who is interesting in the proper context. After that, rookie wide receivers Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr. will start the season on the waiver wire in typical re-draft leagues.
Incumbent veteran wideout Tre Tucker is a non-entity in fantasy until proven otherwise. Backup running backs Raheem Mostert and Sincere McCormick will only have value or appeal if something happens to Jeanty, but let's not invite that idea any further.
Fantasy analyst proposes sneaky Raider as possible bane to fantasy managers' existence
As things get going around the NFL, Yahoo Sports analyst Matt Harmon has offered up one player from each AFC team who fantasy managers should be watching during training camp. Many were obvious, but it seems Harmon felt a well-founded need to dig a little deeper to unearth the Raider who's worth fantasy managers' attention during camp: tight end Michael Mayer.
"New Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly employed a run-heavy, multiple-tight-end offense at Ohio State last season," Harmon wrote. "Mayer is a forgotten former second-round pick who has shined in spurts but missed a lot of time through two NFL seasons. He could figure more prominently into this offense if Kelly brings some of the same formations to the league. While Mayer won’t ever get the targets needed with Brock Bowers entrenched atop the depth chart, if he plays a lot of snaps, he could be a roadblock for some of the possible value receivers on this roster like Jakobi Meyers or rookie Jack Bech."
The early trade rumors around Mayer from the beginning of the offseason have faded due to Kelly professing a key role for him in the Raiders' offense during OTAs.
By all accounts, the third-year man had a terrific offseason with the new coaching staff, and he'll look to carry that momentum right through training camp.
Over his final two seasons at Notre Dame, as he became a legit NFL prospect, Mayer had 138 receptions and 16 touchdowns. At 6-foot-4, he was easy to project as a potential red zone asset when he moved to the next level.
Of course, nothing of the sort has come to fruition to this point. But if things come together better for him this year, Mayer could very well become a dreaded fantasy vulture to the Raiders' second-tier passing game weapons.
