Sunday Night Football DFS Breakdown: Raiders vs. Jets

This one might not be easy to watch. Indeed, this is the kind of game only a Showdown player could love. Clearly, in this instance the fantasy interests are doing all the lifting for the viability of the product. The mood isn't all negative, though – the Raiders team appeared legitimately heartened by the promotion of Antonio Pierce to interim head coach, and the newly inspired players are poised to finish the season better than they started it. The Jets arrive to Las Vegas and present a major challenge to the Raiders all the same, with the unforgiving Jets defense a particularly intimidating detail in the matchup. Although the Jets offense is below average on the other side of the ball, the disparity between the two defenses could lead the situational details to tilt in the favor of the Jets' offense over the game. Not many points are expected with an over/under of just 35.5, and the Jets are road favorites by 1.5 points.

QUARTERBACK

Brutal. Zach Wilson ($8600 DK, $11000 FD) is the headliner at quarterback in this game. That might never be the case for another game in his career from this point. Fortunately for Wilson, the Raiders defense is among the very worst in the league, and if he fails here it won't be due to challenging conditions. Wilson has yet to hit 20 fantasy points in a start this year and has surpassed double-digit points only four times out of seven.

Aidan O'Connell ($8400 DK, $12000 FD) can't be blamed for things outside of his control, but the likely fact is that he's no more than a backup at the NFL level. Even good starting quarterbacks tend to struggle against the Jets defense, which consistently stresses offenses into poor outcomes. O'Connell has excellent receivers at his disposal, at least.

RUNNING BACK

Breece Hall ($11400 DK, $16500 FD) has to withstand the burden of the Jets' horrendous passing game and injury-depleted offensive line, but Hall is the kind of talent who's difficult to contain even when you're not honestly covering the pass. The Raiders defense has uniquely poor personnel, moreover, so if the Jets prove the victors here there's a strong chance that Hall played a leading role in the outcome. Dalvin Cook appears unlikely to play much if Hall is available, but Michael Carter ($1800 DK, $6000 FD) at least caught six empty-calorie receptions last week.

Although the defensive matchup is brutal and the season in general has been difficult for him, it stlil stings to fade Josh Jacobs ($11000 DK, $16000 FD) on this showdown slate. As much as it figures to be a grind for Jacobs to produce yardage here, it's difficult to budget as many as 250 total yards for the Raiders offense without Jacobs claiming upwards of 70. He's plenty capable despite his struggles, moreover, and standout players can sometimes transcend circumstances. It seems less likely that Ameer Abdullah or Zaire White would qualify for that category, and they're both unlikely to see many snaps given that they tend to split about one dozen per week.

WIDE RECEIVER/TIGHT END

Garrett Wilson ($9600 DK, $13000 FD) is arguably the headliner among pass catchers in this game, and in a low-scoring one it's easy to find the funding for a player who could account for more than half of the Jets' passing production in any given game. With that said, Allen Lazard ($6600 DK, $8500 FD) is certainly capable of beating the Raiders' weak cornerback personnel, and Xavier Gipson ($200 DK, $6500 FD) has emerged as an intriguing target after seemingly claiming the WR3 role last week over Randall Cobb. Even Malik Taylor ($200 DK, $5000 FD) played over Cobb last week. If not Lazard or Gipson then the second-leading pass-catching producer for the Jets might be a tight end. Tyler Conklin ($5200 DK, $7500 FD) is normally the leading target for the Jets at the position, but C.J. Uzomah ($400 DK, $5500 FD) and Jeremy Ruckert ($200 DK, $5500 FD) occasionally pitch in, too.

Davante Adams ($11600 DK, $14000 FD) won't stay down forever, but there's no question he's struggling through a rough stretch here. The problem is that, while his eventual resurgence is inevitable, it's possible that this game isn't quite that time yet. Though Adams can definitely beat corners like Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed, the play of a rookie fringe prospect quarterback can drag down even the best receivers, even against easier defenses than these. If Adams continues to struggle then Jakobi Meyers ($9200 DK, $12500 FD) is a strong bet to pick up the slack. Tre Tucker ($800 DK, $8000 FD) looks like an excellent bargain on DraftKings especially after logging 28 snaps last week, over just 13 for Hunter Renfrow. Rookie tight end Michael Mayer ($3600 DK, $7000 FD) has gone cold in the last month, though he has the talent to reemerge at some point. Austin Hooper ($600 DK, $6500 FD) hasn't done much either but has at least 10 receiving yards in six straight.

KICKER

Daniel Carlson ($5000 DK, $9000 FD) is normally an elite kicker, but it's difficult to tell how much range he has at the moment as he plays through a groin injury that has bothered him all year. Carlson is normally killer from long range, but he has yet to make a 50-yard field goal attempt on three tries to this point in 2023. That the Raiders offense could struggle against the Jets defense adds an additional layer of concern.

Greg Zuerlein ($4400 DK, $9500 FD) probably has the conventionally better projection among the two kickers, because he kicks for the favored team and he has been more effective than Carlson this year. That's only due to Carlson's injury, but it is what it is. Zuerlein passed double-digit fantasy points in three games so far in 2023.

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS

The Jets ($4200 DK, $10000 FD) might be difficult to fade as the favorites in a game with so few compelling options on the offenses. An unimpressive rookie quarterback is a boost the Jets defense doesn't even need – much better offenses than Las Vegas' have suffered at the hands of the Jets. Your returner pairing for the Jets is Xavier Gipson, who has already proven dangerous and scored on a punt return in Week 1.

Though they aren't nearly as strong as the Jets, the Raiders ($4600 DK, $9500 FD) have a shot to pay off here due to their new inspiration and, probably more importantly, the struggles of Zach Wilson on the other side. Then again, if there were ever a setting where Wilson might have a good game, it might be this very one. The returner pairing is DeAndre Carter, though he has just one career special teams touchdown in six years.