Las Vegas Raiders News

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins had drawn no trade inquiries as of this weekend, and the Raiders have no interest in dealing him ahead of Tuesday's deadline, according to Adam Schefter. The Raiders plan to keep Cousins as their starter until they believe Fernando Mendoza, the first overall pick, is ready. Cousins threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score in last week's 38-33 win over the New York Jets, which ended a four-game skid. He enters Sunday's game at San Francisco with 19 touchdown passes and five interceptions through eight games. Mendoza remains second on the Week 9 depth chart. All eight of his regular-season pass attempts came in his 10-snap debut against New England, when he completed six for 48 yards.

Las Vegas Raiders running back Dylan Laube (illness) has been added to the injury report ahead of Week 9 against the San Francisco 49ers, according to Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com. It's important to note that Laube doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game, so he will play, barring a setback. Laube made some waves last week with a special teams touchdown, but he's not a reliable offensive contributor with just five carries, nine rushing yards, four catches, and 15 receiving yards this season. The Raiders did indicate that they want to get Laube some more opportunities out of the backfield going forward, but as long as he finds himself behind Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington Jr. on the depth chart, he'll remain off the fantasy football radar.

Las Vegas Raiders running back Mike Washington Jr. should be a priority addition for fantasy football managers entering Week 9. Washington maintained a steady role through the first half of the season, and his volume took off last week against the Jets, as he tallied 25 carries for 83 rushing yards on a 60% snap share. While we do expect his volume to cool down a little bit going forward, he should still maintain a sizable role alongside Ashton Jeanty. He is no longer just a handcuff, but also has some standalone value as a potential RB3/flex in deeper leagues. The rookie lacks pass-catching upside, but he is a particularly impressive runner who should earn more goal-line opportunities going forward. Washington remains available in 53% of redraft leagues, giving fantasy managers an opportunity to pick up a potential RB3/flex midseason.

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker was held without a single catch in Week 8, which is a concern given how productive he had been in previous weeks. Tucker was particularly dominant in Weeks 6-7, when he combined for 10 catches, 197 yards, and three touchdowns, but he was even a solid WR3/flex earlier in the season. He entered last week as the WR13 in half-PPR scoring, but the dud outing dropped him down six spots to WR19. Tucker's fantasy outlook should be adjusted accordingly, as he went from being a low-end WR2 with a high ceiling to more of a high-end WR3 with a low floor. He's absolutely still worth starting, especially as Kirk Cousins remains the quarterback and the Raiders continue to find themselves in negative game script environments. However, Week 8 showed that he's not immune to a goose egg on the stat sheet, and managers must now temper their expectations a little more than they had in weeks past. The good news is that Tucker is still the undisputed No. 1 wide receiver in Las Vegas, albeit operating behind star tight end Brock Bowers in the passing game.

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jalen Nailor scored a touchdown in Week 8, but his overall production this season instills little confidence for a tough matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. While Nailor caught all of his targets and got into the end zone against the New York Jets, he still only logged four receptions for 38 yards. For comparison, running back Ashton Jeanty was also targeted four times and recorded three catches for 64 yards on top of his rushing duties. That brings Nailor to 12 catches for 113 yards through seven games this season. Week 9 poses an even tougher challenge since San Francisco has the fourth-ranked defense overall coming out of their bye week and has the seventh-ranked scoring defense, allowing 19.9 average points per game. Kirk Cousins likes to air out the ball to different targets, but Nailor remains down the pecking order from Brock Bowers and fellow receiver Tre Tucker. Fantasy managers should continue sitting Nailor as Vegas heads into an uphill road battle.

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker needs to rebound from a nonexistent Week 8, but that could be difficult against a tough San Francisco 49ers defense in Week 9. Tucker was targeted only once and failed to catch the pass in last week's win against the New York Jets, who have a sturdy passing defense. The 2023 third-round pick has 29 receptions for 474 yards and four touchdowns this season, but his lack of production last week reminds managers he is a volatile fantasy asset. San Francisco's defense will be rested coming out of its bye week, plus it added DeForest Buckner and will get another boost with Nick Bosa (calf) returning. That ramped-up pressure on Kirk Cousins could impact the receiving corps' target share and leave Tucker far down the list from Brock Bowers. Tucker should be viewed as a boom-or-bust flex option in deep leagues only this week.

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer continues to have some fantasy weight, but it will be limited against a stingy San Francisco 49ers defense in Week 9. Mayer has proven to be a flex option in the Brock Bowers-led offense, totaling 36 catches for 351 yards and one touchdown through eight games. He has also been very efficient, catching 84% of his targets this season. That includes five catches on six targets for 53 yards in a win against a solid New York Jets defense. That being said, the 49ers have been tough against tight ends in 2026, allowing just 1.8 receptions for 12.7 yards per game on average. San Francisco will be fresh off a bye week and have an even sturdier defensive front with the addition of DeForest Buckner and the return of Nick Bosa (calf). The pressure on Kirk Cousins will impact the passing game, so Mayer's target share could take a hit. Still, his efficiency makes him a solid streaming option despite the difficult matchup.

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers has one of his toughest tasks of the season going up against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 9. The 23-year-old has been Kirk Cousins' favorite target since making his season debut in Week 3, logging 41 catches for 547 yards and five touchdowns. That includes a two-touchdown effort in a Week 7 win against the New York Jets when he caught seven of 10 targets for 92 yards, racking up 28.2 PPR points in the process. Now, the 49ers pose a bigger threat in Week 9 since they have been so tough on tight ends, limiting them to just 1.8 receptions for 12.7 yards per game. Nick Bosa's (calf) return from injury will up the pressure on Cousins, and a healthy Fred Warner will give Bowers plenty of trouble. Then again, the Niners also allowed nine catches on 11 targets for 75 yards to Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride. Bowers is still RotoBaller's TE1 and should be started in this tough Week 9 matchup.

Las Vegas Raiders running back Mike Washington Jr. is expected to get plenty of work in Week 9, but it will be an uphill battle against a San Francisco 49ers defense that has excelled at squashing the run game. The rookie is coming off his biggest game of the season, leading the run game with 25 carries for 83 yards in a Week 8 win against the New York Jets. Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak hasn't specified whether Washington will have a bigger workload than Ashton Jeanty again in Week 9. Regardless, both backs will likely be stymied against a 49ers defense that is allowing just 89 rushing yards per game, and held Falcons star back Bijan Robinson to 63 yards their last time out. The tough matchup and continued tandem workload with Jeanty signal to fantasy managers that Washington should only be used as a flex option in Week 9.

Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty has stayed relevant in fantasy leagues because of his hybrid workload, but how will that play out against a stingy 49ers defense in Week 9? The 22-year-old had just two carries for nine yards against the New York Jets as Mike Washington Jr. took on a heavier workload, though Jeanty also caught three of four targets for 64 receiving yards in the Week 8 win. Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak wouldn't specify whether Jeanty will have a heavier workload in Week 9, which makes his value uncertain against a formidable opponent. The 49ers defense ranks fifth overall against the run (89 YPG allowed), and pressure on Kirk Cousins to throw the ball will increase since Nick Bosa (calf) has been cleared to play. RotoBaller lists Jeanty as RB25 in the positional ranking, and he is a low-end RB2 in 12-plus-team leagues only given the difficult Week 9 matchup.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins has been impressive this season, making Sunday's Week 9 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers all the more intriguing. The veteran play-caller has the third-most passing yards (2,124) and second-most touchdowns (19) while throwing just five interceptions. In a tough Week 8 road matchup against the New York Jets, Cousins had a 73.1% completion rate while throwing for 294 yards and scoring three touchdowns in the air. He added a rushing touchdown to his tally as well, which was impressive given Cousins isn't a fan of running the ball himself. The 49ers pose a massive threat, allowing 210.3 passing yards per game but holding opposing offenses to just 19.9 points. The pressure will be turned up further now that Nick Bosa (calf) will return to the gridiron after missing five games. Cousins has shown he can battle tough defenses this season, but this Week 9 matchup could still give him a headache. RotoBaller lists Cousins at QB15, and he is a starting option for deep league formats given the tough matchup.

Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty has no assurance of a larger rushing workload for Sunday's Week 9 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. Asked Friday whether Jeanty would receive more carries after his limited involvement last week, head coach Klint Kubiak said he expects Jeanty, Mike Washington Jr. and Dylan Laube all to play, according to Sam Warren. Washington handled 25 carries for 83 yards against the New York Jets, while Jeanty rushed twice for nine yards and caught three passes for 64 yards. Jeanty's rushing workload has steadily declined from 23 carries in Week 1 to just two in Week 8, although he continues to excel as a receiver. His 37 receptions and 376 receiving yards lead all NFL running backs, helping preserve his value in PPR formats. Kubiak has described the backfield distribution as a week-to-week decision, leaving Jeanty in low-end RB2 territory with considerable uncertainty surrounding his rushing opportunities.

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby was nearly traded this past offseason to the Ravens, but the star defender has made it clear his desire is to remain with the Raiders at this year's NFL Trade Deadline. He told reporters on Wednesday, "I'm excited about everything; I love being a Raider. This is where I want to be. Superexcited for, obviously, the present, but what's to come as well." Crosby seems to have bought into the new direction under coach Klint Kubiak, and the team has looked much more competitive this season. The Raiders could be active at the deadline, but it doesn't look like moving Crosby is part of the plan, since the star seems happy with the team now. He has three sacks, 22 total tackles, and one forced fumble in his eight games with Las Vegas this season.

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak said he "absolutely" believes that running back Ashton Jeanty can still be a bell-cow RB in the NFL, according to Ryan McFadden of ESPN. "Ashton's a young player and has a really bright future ahead. Glad we have him and all these young players on our roster that are continuing to grow. And it's our job as coaches to develop them," Kubiak said. Jeanty is averaging a paltry 3.1 yards per carry on 108 rushing attempts for 337 yards and one touchdown on the ground in the first eight games of his second season in the league. The former sixth overall pick from Boise State has been much more efficient as a pass-catcher, catching 37 of his 48 targets for 376 yards (10.2 yards per reception) and three touchdowns through the air. With Vegas' ground game going nowhere, they switched things up in the Week 8 win over the New York Jets. Jeanty played a season-low 40% of the offensive snaps and had only two carries for nine yards, while rookie Mike Washington Jr. had a season-high 60% snap share while handling 25 carries for 83 yards. Kubiak said the backfield touch distribution will vary from week to week, although it seems like the 22-year-old Jeanty is shifting away from early-down work for more pass-catching duties on third downs. It's a frustrating development for his fantasy managers, but at the very least, Jeanty should be in the low-end RB2 range in PPR leagues in Week 9 against the San Francisco 49ers.

Las Vegas Raiders running back Mike Washington Jr. is not guaranteed to remain the team's primary rusher, as head coach Klint Kubiak said Wednesday that the distribution of carries between Washington and Ashton Jeanty will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis, according to Ryan McFadden. Washington handled a career-high 25 carries for 83 yards in Sunday's Week 8 victory over the New York Jets, playing 38 snaps compared to Jeanty's 22. Kubiak previously credited Washington's development and practice performance for his increased opportunities. Jeanty was limited to two carries for nine yards but caught three passes for 64 yards, while Washington wasn't targeted. The rookie remains a priority waiver addition following his expanded rushing role, particularly in standard-scoring leagues. However, his limited receiving involvement and Kubiak's willingness to adjust the backfield rotation could make his weekly fantasy production unpredictable.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday's 38-33 victory over the Jets. He also added his first rushing touchdown of the season. Through eight games, Cousins has thrown for 2,124 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions, recording multiple touchdown passes in seven contests. His strong play has kept rookie Fernando Mendoza on the bench, although a future quarterback change remains possible. Cousins is rostered in roughly two-thirds of fantasy leagues across major platforms, making him a worthwhile addition despite upcoming matchups against San Francisco, Seattle, and Denver. RotoBaller ranks him QB14 for Week 9, making him a matchup-dependent starting option.

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jalen Nailor had his best game of the season Sunday, catching all four targets for 38 yards and his first touchdown of 2026 in a 38-33 victory over the Jets. Nailor has recorded just 12 receptions for 113 yards through seven games, making consistent fantasy production difficult to project. His role remains uncertain following Jack Bech's return, as Nailor played only 46% of the offensive snaps against New York despite running routes on 67% of passing plays. With Brock Bowers commanding most of the receiving opportunities, Nailor remains a speculative stash in deeper leagues. RotoBaller ranks him WR94 for Week 9 against San Francisco, making him a risky fantasy starter.

Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis is pleased with the coaching staff's plan to develop rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza and feels "absolutely no pressure whatsoever" to start the first overall pick in this year's draft, according to Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "Today, there's a lot of pressure put on teams when they draft a guy No. 1 that you have to play him right away," Davis said. "That's why I think we were so fortunate to get Kirk Cousins as someone who could bridge the gap and let this young man learn a lot about what football is in the pros, the speed of the game, and the things that have to be done." Davis has been "blown away" by Mendoza's presence off the field while he sits behind Cousins and learns the intricacies of playing QB in the NFL. The Raiders are currently 4-4, and with Cousins playing really well under center, the Raiders are in no rush to bench him in favor of Mendoza. Just like it was before the start of the 2026 season, mostly all of Mendoza's fantasy value in his first year in the league is in dynasty/keeper leagues.

Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back Mike Washington Jr. was the team's workhorse in Week 8, while Ashton Jeanty was a non-factor on early downs. Washington had 25 carries for 83 yards, while Jeanty managed just two carries for nine yards but added three receptions for 64 yards in the 38-33 win over the New York Jets. Regarding Jeanty's limited role, Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak said it was "my call, and he's still going to be a big part of our team." Jeanty made comments during the week, saying the Jets have players who don't want to tackle, but Kubiak said those comments had nothing to do with his limited workload. Washington was productive, and if he becomes the lead rusher for the Raiders, he should be rostered in all formats moving forward.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins completed 19 of 26 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday's 38-33 road win over the New York Jets. He added a fourth touchdown and three rushing yards on five carries. Cousins continued his torrid pace to finish out the unofficial first half of the campaign, notching his seventh multi-touchdown effort and his fourth hat trick. It marked his first four-touchdown performance since Week 8 of the 2024 season. The veteran has been excellent thus far, leading the league with 19 passing scores and ranking third in yards (2,124) through eight contests. Cousins has rebounded nicely from a poor showing to end 2025, as he's now eclipsed his touchdown total from the previous three seasons. For at least one more week, the 38-year-old will stave off talks of a transition to rookie signal caller Fernando Mendoza. Up next for Cousins and the Falcons is a road date with the San Francisco 49ers next Sunday.