Shark Bites are the latest fantasy football news & NFL updates. Draft Sharks has been in business since 1999. And when we started, redraft was the dominant form of fantasy football. Check out what we've learned about this most basic form of fantasy football along the way.
Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers (concussion) remained sidelined on Thursday. He's not going to be cleared in time for this weekend's game vs. the Bills. Meyers' absence figures to mean an even heavier reliance on WR Davante Adams in Buffalo.
Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers (concussion) did not practice on Wednesday. That's not a good start for his chances of being cleared in time for this weekend's game vs. the Bills. We'll update Meyers' progress again tomorrow, but he should be on fantasy benches for now.
Raiders HC Josh McDaniels confirmed on Monday that WR Jakobi Meyers is in the concussion protocol. That leaves him no better than 50/50 for Week 2. Meyers was awesome before sustaining that head injury in the win over Denver, hauling in nine of 10 targets for 81 yards and two TDs. Even though he might not be available this coming week, Meyers should be scooped off the waiver wire in fantasy leagues of 10+ teams.
Raiders RBs Zamir White and Ameer Abdullah have been splitting first-team work with RB Josh Jacobs still holding out, according to The Athletic's Tashan Reed. White has been handling "most of the carries," with Abdullah playing in passing situations. That's how we'd expect this backfield to operate if Jacobs misses regular-season games. White's ADP has remained in check, making him an intriguing bench stash as we continue to monitor the Jacobs holdout.
The Raiders and CB Marcus Peters have agreed to a one-year deal, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Peters instantly looks like a favorite to start for a weak Raiders D. He lost seven total games to injuries over the past two years, but has remained an INT and TD-return threat when healthy. Peters isn't a big factor for IDP teams but can make your week in a big-play, large-roster format.
Falcons QB Desmond Ridder has teammates fired up about his leadership heading into his second season. “When he talks, you listen,” TE Jonnu Smith told The Athletic. “Having leadership qualities is the most important trait you should have as a quarterback. He has that. He’s been coming in here and working his butt off. I have nothing but great things to say about Desmond.” Those words come from a seventh-year veteran heading into his age-28 season and in his first offseason with the Falcons. Others had similar praise for Ridder, who has not only led on-field work but reportedly been organizing events with teammates away from the field. All of this could mean nothing for his in-game performance. And Taylor Heinicke stands in wait as Ridder insurance. But all signs point to the Falcons hoping that Ridder will be their guy for at least the near future. He’s a fine late shot to take in superflex drafts. Check out his spot in our superflex rankings.
Raiders GM Dave Ziegler said he tried to trade back into the first round to secure TE Michael Mayer. Vegas ended up landing Mayer with the fourth pick of Round 2. "He was one of the top 15 players on our board," Ziegler said. We were surprised to see Mayer slip into the second round. But he landed in a solid spot for immediate opportunity, with only TEs Austin Hooper and O.J. Howard to conquer.
The Raiders selected Cincinnati WR Tre Tucker in Round 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft. A strict slot at 5’9, 182 pounds, Tucker wins with 4.40 speed. The 22-year-old will likely fit in as Vegas’ WR4 or WR5 this season. He’s also a candidate to contribute in the return game.
The Raiders selected Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer in Round 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Mayer stepped into a starting role as a true freshman. Across three seasons, the Notre Dame TE set records for career catches (180), receiving yards (2,099), and TDs (18). Despite small, 31 5/8” arms, Mayer is a polished, contested-catch winner. The 249-pounder has also proven tough with only one missed game in three seasons. The Raiders certainly had a TE need following the trade of Darren Waller. Austin Hooper joined the club in March, but he’s not much of a barrier to Mayer capturing a three-down role. The 21-year-old could be a TE1 spot-starter this fall.
The Raiders selected Edge Tyree Wilson with the seventh pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Wilson’s college career started slowly, with a redshirt season and transfer from Texas A&M to Texas Tech before he became a starter. He broke out over the past two seasons, totaling 27.5 tackles for loss and 14 sacks over that span. Wilson was on pace for easily his best college campaign in 2022 before a foot fracture cost him the final three games. That recovery will be worth watching for his 2023 IDP outlook. He goes to a Las Vegas defense without an immediate starting need on the edge. Bet on Wilson working into the rotation with Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones initially, with a chance to take playing time from Jones this year. Don't be surprised if the rookie starts slowly, though. Read more about Wilson in our early IDP rookie rankings.
When asked about the team's QB situation on Tuesday, Falcons HC Arthur Smith shared the plan is for Desmond Ridder to open training camp as the starter. Smith also spoke about QB Taylor Heinicke, the former Commanders signal-caller who inked a two-year deal with the Falcons in free agency. "The chemistry in the quarterback room is important, as we expect Desmond to take the next step," said Smith. "But we also have [Heinicke] who can go in and win you football games and be ready to play." Reading between the lines a little bit, it sounds as though this could be a camp battle in which Heinicke would have an opportunity to win the job if Ridder slips. That said, we can't put too much stock into vague statements like this in late March. We'll surely have our attention on this situation should it evolve into something more into the summer. If nothing else, dynasty managers could consider throwing out some feelers to acquire Heinicke on the cheap in superflex leagues, but that's about all there is here.
The Colts signed QB Gardner Minshew to a 1-year, $3.5 million deal. It's backup money, which is what Minshew figures to be for at least most of 2023 behind whichever QB the Colts nab in next month's draft. It's worth noting that Minshew spent the past 2 seasons in Philadelphia with new Colts HC Shane Steichen, so he'll be familiar with the offense.
The Raiders will be signing WR Jakobi Meyers to a three-year, $33 million deal, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The pact will reportedly include $21 million in guaranteed money. This fit seems somewhat odd. Meyers does reunite with HC Josh McDaniels, who served as New England's OC for three of Meyers' four seasons there. But the 26-year-old (until Nov. 9) wideout joins an offense that already sports WR Davante Adams, TE Darren Waller, and WR Hunter Renfrow with annual average salaries over $10 million. Meyers also ran 64.5% of his routes with the Patriots from the slot, according to Pro Football Focus. That's also Renfrow's primary position (69.7% of career routes; 86% in 2022). We're assuming Meyers will be the second wideout (with Adams) in two-WR alignments, which will keep Renfrow's ceiling down. Meyers likely could have found more target share available elsewhere. It is, at least, a solid corps of receivers for new Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo. That said, we're not excited for the fantasy outlook on the QB, Meyers, or Renfrow.
TE Michael Mayer measured in at nearly 6’5 and 249 pounds at the NFL Combine. Mayer wasn’t a standout tester, posting a 4.70 forty and a 32.5” vertical. No major surprise there, though. Mayer is a contested catch specialist who exited Notre Dame with 180 catches across 3 seasons. He still projects as a day 1 NFL starter.
The Falcons might already have their starting QB for 2023, if owner Arthur Blank's assessment is meaningful. "We're very excited about Desmond Ridder," Blank said this week, according to NFL.com. "I think from the time he came into training camp, he showed great capabilities as a leader amongst the rookies and then amongst the vets." We're not talking these words to signal that Ridder will definitely lead Atlanta for the coming season. But he's the current favorite to open Week 1, just by virtue of already being on the team. If you're taking the 2022 rookie in early fantasy football drafts, though, you shouldn't do so until late. The Falcons carry the 8th overall pick in the NFL Draft and could be in range for one of the top incoming QBs.
Patriots WR Jakobi Meyers (shoulder) is active for today’s game vs. the Bills. He’s been playing through this shoulder injury for a few weeks and shouldn’t be limited today.
Patriots WR Jakobi Meyers (shoulder) is officially listed as questionable for Week 18 vs. the Bills after limited practice all week. Fellow WR DeVante Parker (concussion) logged full practice on Friday and has been removed from the final injury report. It seems as though we'll see Parker on the field on Sunday for the first time since Week 14 vs. the Cardinals. That said, Meyers is the player of the two who carries the most fantasy value. He's played through this shoulder injury for a few weeks now and we feel pretty confident that he'll suit up. The Bills' defense ranks as the 11th-best matchup for WRs in adjusted fantasy points allowed this season, and Meyers carries a team-leading 27% target share over the last 2 weeks. Consider Meyers a solid WR2 in Week 18.
The Athletic's Vic Tafur believes there's a "good chance [Raiders RB Zamir] White will get his first serious action of the season" vs. the Chiefs on Saturday. RB Josh Jacobs is listed as questionable with hip and oblique injuries and missed Wednesday and Thursday's practices due to a personal issue. The Raiders have nothing to play for in the finale, so it'd make sense for them to get a look at White -- especially with Jacobs set to hit free agency in March. White is only worth considering in Saturday DFS contests, but Jacobs' floor and ceiling is lower in Week 18 than it's been all season.
Patriots WR Jakobi Meyers (shoulder) practiced in a limited capacity again on Thursday. It's also worth noting that WR DeVante Parker (concussion) has now practiced limited on back-to-back days. This is certainly encouraging for Parker as he's been sidelined since Week 14. Friday's injury report will give us official designations for the pair of pass-catchers ahead of Week 18 vs. the Bills. Check back tomorrow for further analysis.
Patriots WR Jakobi Meyers (shoulder) was listed as a limited participant on Wednesday. This same injury has plagued Meyers for a few weeks now. He's yet to miss a game because of it, so we feel pretty good about Meyers' availability for Week 18 vs. the Bills. We'll keep track of this in case anything changes.
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