Jul 24, 2025; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll during training camp at the Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Raiders Player Might Not Be Fantasy 'Sleeper' Pick Anymore

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Andy Quach | Last updated Aug 21, 2025 6:00 AM ET

There's a lot of optimism mounting around the Las Vegas Raiders ' offense for the 2025 NFL season. They've implemented a lot of changes, both systematically and with their personnel. Head Coach Pete Carroll and Offensive Coordinator Chip Kelly come in with hopes to breathe life into one of the worst attacks from last year.

They brought some new weapons in to help them in this crusade. Rather than trust his season to Gardner Minshew II or Aidan O'Connell, Carroll enlisted Geno Smith to be Las Vegas's new QB1, aiming to recapture the magic they found together in 2022 for the Seattle Seahawks. They also took running back phenom Ashton Jeanty out of Boise State with the sixth-overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to overhaul the league's worst ground game last season.

With all the changes that the Raiders have made on that side of the ball, there's a lot of positivity that this offense can be a much more productive unit. While Las Vegas still isn't expected to be very competitive as an overall team, especially in the deep AFC West division, they could wind up with a few surprising fantasy standouts, including this rising wide receiver.

Jakobi Meyers no longer flying under the radar as a fantasy target for the 2025 NFL season

It's difficult nowadays to truly be a fantasy football sleeper. With all of the prep work and content that's out there from experts and analysts, anyone making any noise in the training camp and preseason will wind up on a list at some point or another.

One member of the Las Vegas Raiders who's been increasingly identified as a premier target for the 2025 NFL season is Jakobi Meyers. With the additions of Head Coach Pete Carroll, Offensive Coordinator Chip Kelly, running back Ashton Jeanty, and most importantly, quarterback Geno Smith, the young receiver could wind up having a breakout year. ESPN's Matt Bowen thinks so:

"Meyers averaged 14.4 PPG last season with 10 games of double-digit fantasy production and six games with at least 10 targets. A physical route runner with the frame to uncover and work the interior of the field, Meyers has the receiving traits to create consistent opportunities. And he'll remain a primary target opposite of tight end Brock Bowers in an upgraded Raiders pass game with quarterback Geno Smith and playcaller Chip Kelly. The Raiders' foundational approach to running the ball with rookie Ashton Jeanty could lead to a dip in total throwing volume, but if we are looking for dependability in the lineup, drafting Meyers later as a WR4 adds up. He gets open."

At this point, Meyers may be getting too much attention to be called a sleeper anymore. He's currently got an average draft position of 86, 38th among wide receivers. He'll only shoot up further as more of these rankings include him in them.

You can follow us on X @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr and stay up to date on our coverage of the Las Vegas Raiders and Ashton Jeanty.

All fantasy draft positions and stats via Fantasy Pros on a 17-game, full-PPR basis

This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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