The Las Vegas Raiders appeared to have figured out their offense last year as they ranked 10th in the league in total points scored with 434. In addition, the Raiders were 8th in the league in total yards with 6,133. Both figures were jumps from the previous season, more notably the points scored, which was at 313 in 2019. The offense projects to continue its success, producing several fantasy football-relevant options.
With that being said, one of the major questions coming into this season is how this backfield will shake up. We all know the success Josh Jacobs has had his first two years in the league. However, we also know the Raiders recently acquired running back Kenyan Drake, who is also coming off a successful season last year with the Arizona Cardinals. This article will dive into each player and discuss the expectations going into the 2021 football season.
Josh Jacobs
Coming off a Pro Bowl year, Josh Jacobs was an absolute workhorse in 2020. Finishing as the RB8 in fantasy football, Jacobs tallied 1,065 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on 273 carries, all while missing a game. He also added 33 receptions for 238 yards on 45 targets. That is over 300 total touches for this former first round pick, now entering his third season in the NFL.
In his rookie season, Jacobs carried the ball 242 times in 13 games. This would have been good for just under 300 carries had he played in the other three games. There is no denying the Raiders trust this 23-year-old running back with the ball in his hands. Jacobs has proven that he can handle the heavy workload and produce. While PFF projects the Raiders to have a bottom-third offensive line, volume is king in fantasy football.
Kenyan Drake
The Raiders signed Kenyan Drake to a two-year deal this offseason. This had a lot of people scratching their heads given the Raiders had a stud running back in Josh Jacobs. Is this purely a backup role or is there more to the story? Let’s find out.
Since joining the Arizona Cardinals halfway through the 2019 season, Drake has been a solid fantasy football option. In 23 games, he has amassed 362 carries for 1,598 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also added 53 catches for 308 yards on 66 targets. These are solid numbers, which back up his RB12 finish in 2020.
Prior to coming to Arizona, Drake never really experienced the bell-cow role. His highest number of carries in a season was 133 in 2017 for the Miami Dolphins. However, he quickly silenced the doubters last season when he handled 69% of the teams’ non-quarterback carries.
What to Expect
There is no question the Las Vegas Raiders want to run the ball. In 2020, they ranked 11th in the league with 457 rushing attempts. As noted before, Jacobs was responsible for 273 of these carries. I do not expect this workload to change. Jacobs is too good of a player to keep sidelined. I anticipate his usage to remain steady to what we have seen from these last two seasons.
So where does Drake come in? At 27 years old, the Raiders did not bring Drake in to steal carries from Jacobs. I expect him to be used similarly to how Devontae Booker was used last season. Booker was able to record 93 carries for 423 yards and 3 touchdowns. Drake will be a top tier handcuff to Jacobs, and the occasional option to give him a breather. I do not think he will be the pass-catching back over Jacobs as their skillset is similar, both having an approximate 73% career catch rate. The move to bring in Drake serves more as insurance in the chance that Jacobs should miss any time due to injury, as he has done so in the past.
The move to bring in Kenyan Drake has some fantasy football managers worried about Jacobs’ potential value. I think this is a great opportunity to snag him up in a draft in the third round and watch him return his value as a fantasy star. If you’re not a believer in Jacobs, make sure to get Drake as a prime handcuff with some potential flex appeal later in the draft.
