Bottom Line

Meyers is coming off a career-best fantasy season, finishing 29th among WRs in PPR points per game and 30th in non-PPR.

While not a downfield threat or big TD producer, he has displayed strong target-earning ability over the past three seasons.

That ability will be tested in Vegas, alongside target hog Davante Adams.

But Meyers got a nice three-year, $33 million deal from the Raiders and has experience in HC Josh McDaniels’ offense. It makes him the clear favorite for the #2 WR job.

Meyers certainly isn’t an exciting fantasy pick. But he could see enough volume to be a useful depth piece in PPR leagues.

What We Learned Last Year

• Meyers caught 67 balls for 804 yards and 6 TDs in 14 games last season.
• The yardage and TDs easily led a Patriots offense that finished 20th in passing yards and 19th in passing scores.
• Meyers missed weeks 3 and 4 with a knee injury and Week 14 with a concussion.
• His scoring averages in 14 games ranked 29th in PPR points and 30th in non-PPR.
• Meyers’ finishes in points per game the previous two seasons:
  • 2020: 50th in PPR, 69th in non-PPR
  • 2021: 44th in PPR, 62nd in non-PPR
• Over the past three seasons, Meyers ranks 24th among WRs in catches and 28th in receiving yards … but 61st in receiving TDs.
• After somehow mustering just 2 TDs on 142 receptions (1.4% TD rate) across 2020 and 2021, Meyers scored six times on 67 catches last year (9.0% TD rate).
• Meyers’ 1.90 yards per route run last year easily led Patriots WRs and ranked 23rd among 84 WRs league-wide with 50+ targets.
• Meyers ranked 51st among 90 qualifiers in yards per route run in 2021 and 11th out of 90 in 2020.
• His target shares (and ranks among WRs) the last three years:
  • 2020: 26.7% (6th)
  • 2021: 24.5% (20th)
  • 2022: 22.1% (31st)

What to Expect in 2023

• Meyers signed a three-year, $33 million deal with the Raiders in free agency. The contract lands him 27th among WRs in average annual salary (tied with Allen Lazard, who signed a four-year, $44 million deal with the Jets this offseason).
• Meyers reunites with Raiders HC Josh McDaniels, who was Patriots OC for Meyers’ first three NFL seasons.
• The Raiders lost 191 targets (32.6% of the team total) with the offseason departures of WR Mack Hollins and TEs Darren Waller and Foster Moreau.
• Alpha WR Davante Adams returns after hogging 180 targets (30.7% share) last year. WR Hunter Renfrow is also back after a disappointing 2022 season (36-330-2 in 10 games).
• Considering his recent production, contract, and history with McDaniels, Meyers looks like the clear favorite to be Vegas’ #2 WR this year.
• The Raiders swapped out QB Derek Carr for QB Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason. That looks like a lateral move at best. Garoppolo beats Carr in career completion rate and yards per attempt, but he’s spent most of his time in Kyle Shanahan’s QB-friendly offense. Carr beat Garoppolo in Pro Football Focus passing grade in four straight seasons from 2018-2021 – although Garoppolo edged Carr last year.