Getty Oakland Raiders WR Tyrell Williams.
Knock on wood, but it’s starting to look like the Oakland Raiders could be at full strength on offense for their matchup with the Houston Texans. The team went to Green Bay without Tyrell Williams or Trent Brown playing. That game didn’t end well for Oakland, but they’re hoping to turn things around in Houston. Based on a report from Ian Rapoport, the Raider offense could have all of their top offensive players on the field for Sunday’s game.
Josh Jacobs has been the lifeblood of the offense, but he missed practice all week. However, it’s looking like he’s going to be ready to play. Williams and Brown are looking like they’re poised for a return. David Sharpe played well at right tackle in Week 7, but Brown has been playing like one of the best in the game. Derek Carr would be very happy to have Williams back. The Raiders currently have one of the worst wide receiving corps in the NFL without Williams, so getting him back into the offense should help take some of the pressure off Darren Waller and Jacobs.
UPDATE: Williams, Jacobs and Brown are all active for Sunday’s game.
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Are Josh Jacobs or Tyrell Williams Worth a Fantasy Football Start in Week 8?
Josh Jacobs clearly isn’t at 100%, or else he would’ve practiced this week. He’s been getting banged up in the last few games, but he’s one tough cookie. If he feels like he can play, he’s going to. It’s risky to play him in fantasy football considering he could see his workload lightened. That being said, he’s been one of the best running backs in the NFL. Even if he’s hurt, he could still put up a 15 point game in PPR. Unless you have other running backs with really promising matchups, Jacobs should still be in your lineup.
Williams is a tougher call to make because his injury is more serious. He’s scored a touchdown in every game he’s played and hasn’t put up less than 10 PPR points yet. The Texans are thin in the defensive backfield, so that could mean big things for the passing offense. Williams has a strong rapport with Derek Carr and the Raiders have seemed to open up their offense more in recent weeks. The offensive line should be at full strength for the first time this season, which could mean the quarterback has a ton of time to throw.
It also needs to be mentioned that this game could turn into a shootout between Carr and Deshaun Watson really quickly. Oakland’s pass defense is one of the worst in the NFL and Watson has been playing like an MVP candidate. Plus, there’s nobody in the defensive backfield who could feasibly stop DeAndre Hopkins. If Houston starts putting up points early, the Raiders are going to have to keep up. Jacoby Brissett of the Indianapolis Colts lit up this pass defense in Week 7. There’s no reason Derek Carr shouldn’t be able to as well. Williams should get a lot of looks in the event this game turns into a shootout and could be in for a huge game. If you trust that his ankle is better, he’s worth a start.
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