The Raiders rookie wide receivers are heading in opposite directions on Underdog.
The Las Vegas Raiders are not considered a team that is deep at wide receiver. Jakobi Meyers is an ever present value in best ball as he is going in round 6 on Underdog as the WR40. The offense is set to run through tight end Brock Bowers and stud rookie running back Ashton Jeanty in 2025.
With Jakobi Meyers being the best Raiders wide receiver by default, it leaves opportunity for another receiver to emerge. After the 2025 NFL Draft it was initially believed that Jack Bech would be the logical player to rise in Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly’s offense. Instead, it is Dont’e Thornton who is catching plenty of buzz as he has stood out in minicamp.
As this word has gotten out it has sent the two rookie receivers in opposite directions. In the last week on Underdog, Thornton has risen 9.7 spots into the early 17th round. Divergent from Thornton has been Jack Bech who has fallen 6.5 spots into the early 13th round.
Bech was selected in round 2 of the NFL Draft while Thornton went in round 4. There is still an appropriate gap in drafts, but as fantasy gamers get wise to Thornton’s ability the gap will certainly close. Clicking both Bech and Thornton at ADP will help build unique lineups and will be particularly unique when stacking with quarterback Geno Smith.
Author: Jeremiah Retzlaff (@coachretzlaff1)
The Athletic's Tashan Reed writes that so far this ...
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith said he's ready to...
The Las Vegas Raiders traded for Seattle Seahawks ...
Raiders secure Geno Smith and his deep-ball talents.
The Las Vegas Raiders and quarterback Geno Smith have agreed on a two-year extension at $66.5 million, guaranteed. Smith was acquired earlier this year from Seattle in exchange for a 2025 3rd round pick.
Smith brings a very deft deep threat to a Raiders offense that has been anemic since Derek Carr left. Smith is consistently a top 5 QB in deep-ball accuracy and completion percentage and is a massive upgrade in catchable ball rae over the Raiders’ QB’s in the last two seasons. These metrics will help the fantasy results of the Raiders’ receiving corps.
As it stands, Smith will be targeting Brock Bowers, Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, and Michael Mayer, with the prospect of adding to the WR room via the draft. A draft addition and handing the reigns to Smith will go a long way to making the Raiders relevant in fantasy again.
Author: Brendon Booth (bigbonededFFB)
The Las Vegas Raiders have acquired QB Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Pete Carroll and his former QB in Seattle, Geno Smith, have been reunited. The Raiders are sending Seattle a 2025 3rd round pick in the exchange.
The 34 year old Smith enjoyed career highs in 2024 in multiple categories. 578 attempts, 407 completions, and 4320 yards helped Smith finish as the QB13 in Fantasy, the 2nd best finish of his career. Under Carroll, Smith was QB5 in 2022.
The Raiders seem to be moving in a direction to bolster their offense. They’ve added Carroll, a Super Bowl winner, and OC Chip Kelly to guide the team. With TE1 Brock Bowers and 1000 yard WR Jakobi Meyers in place, drafting or trading for a true WR1, a productive RB, and bolstering their offensive line in free agency, and/or the draft, would make Geno a must-own in fantasy, especially in SuperFlex leagues. Those moves would also cement him as a nice stack-QB in Best Ball, a situation the Raiders haven’t had in years.
Author: Brendon Booth @bigbonededffb
Geno Smith is expected to return to the Seahawks in 2025.
The Seattle Seahawks hired Klint Kubiak after moving on from Ryan Grubb after a less-than-stellar 2024 season. One of the biggest questions after he was hired involved the status of current quarterback Geno Smith. Geno is entering the final year of an extension he signed in 2022, and the Seahawks are currently set to be 13.4 million over the projected 2025 cap number of 272 million.
Geno Smith signing an extension could save the Seahawks 24 million in cap space. Trading him would save them 31 million. Geno’s erratic play at times due to a shaky offensive line leaves either possibility a reality heading into 2025. Smith threw for 4,320 yards and 21 touchdowns with 15 interceptions in 2024, and the Seahawks missed the playoffs with a 10-7 record.
Smith is a QB2 for fantasy and has one of the biggest arms in the league. If he is traded or the Seahawks can shore up their offensive line, Smith sported a 44.1% completion on deep throws in 2024 despite the poor offensive line play. Smith could come close to replicating his 2022 season where he finished as the QB5 in 6-point TD leagues if kept upright.
Author: Justin Currie (@Chev90)
Seattle hires Klint Kubiak to be next offensive coordinator.
Klint Kubiak is headed to Seattle. Kubiak, the former Saints offensive coordinator, took over playcalling duties in New Orleans in 2024 and the offense scored 91 points in the first two weeks of the season. The offense was amongst the most explosive in NFL history through 2 games before being ravaged by an onslaught of injuries.
Kubiak replaces Seattle’s first year OC in Ryan Grubb, who was called up from the collegiate ranks to take the reigns of the Seahawks offense in 2024.
Kubiak’s vertical passing attack led to a breakout for Rashid Shaheed, who was outpacing former 2022 first round pick Chris Olave in yards and targets prior to a season ending surgery.
Kubiak now inherits an offensive unit loaded at the skill positions, with an established veteran at QB in Geno Smith. Their biggest concern is the inconsistent (at best) offensive line play that plagued the Seahawks throughout the season in 2024. If Seattle addresses the OLine issues they’ve been plagued by, Kubiak’s aggressive play action and zone schemes could raise the stocks of the wide receiver and running back rooms, respectively.
DK Metcalf as a deep threat with calculated shot plays using his 4.33 speed like Shaheed, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba operating in the middle of the field with surgical precision like Olave. The running backs will benefit from his zone running scheme and usage of the screen game. Zach Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker III both have been plagued by inefficiency on a per carry basis. Cause for optimism in Seattle for all fantasy relevant options.
Author: Justin Currie (@Chev90)
Geno Smith “Very impressed” with OC Ryan Grubb’s offense in early stages of offseason
In 2022, Geno Smith took a significant step forward when Russell Wilson left town and Geno was thrust into the starting quarterback position. He easily won the Comeback Player of the Year award and looked like an elite passer leading the league in completion percentage at 69.8%.
Smith appeared more like a game manager than a game changer in 2023, but still posted respectable numbers, leading the Seahawks to an 8-7 record.
With significant changes to the franchise, Mike Macdonald has taken over as the Seahawks Head Coach, replacing Pete Corral after his 13-year tenure with the team. Bringing in an Offensive Coordinator Ryan Grubb.
Geno Smith has praised the track record of his new coach, saying, “Obviously from the stuff he’s done in college he has a great track record. And then just being a part of the system, being able to learn from him, the type of guy that he is, the type of man that he is, the type of coach that he is. There are going to be great things coming for us.” Geno has also mentioned that he is putting in extra work to study more. He has been having additional meetings with the receivers, running backs, and offensive linemen to ensure that he is not just ready to learn Grubb’s system, but to master it.
As of now, in redraft leagues, Geno Smith would go undrafted in majority of leagues, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Geno Smith return to his 2022 Comeback Player of the Year form with Grubb’s system making its way to the NFL. Grubb led the Huskies to become one of the most prolific passing offenses in the country, which could translate to more passing volume for the Seahawks and Geno Smith in 2024.
