Game Info
Kickoff: Monday, October 10th, 8:15 PM ET
Location: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
Betting Odds: KC -7.0, 51.0 total via PFF.com
Network: ESPN
Writer: Estevão Maximo (@estevao_maximo on Twitter)
Las Vegas Raiders
Quarterback
Derek Carr (Start, QB2)
The Raiders were the only 0-3 team in all of football before last week, but the situation wasn’t as dire as that number would indicate. Right now the Raiders hold a decent -3 point differential, for a team that’s 1-3.
Derek Carr hasn’t taken full advantage of getting Davante Adams into his WR room like we all expected he would, but that feels more like a matter of time rather than anything else.
The shootout expectation is real with pretty much any AFC West matchup, and that shows with the highest over-under on the week at 51, but neither defense is this pushover, and without the ability to run for 200+ yards like they did last week, considering the Chiefs are number three in rush yards per attempt, Carr might be best served as a low-end QB2 play, with upside, in case this turns into a garbage time situation, early;
Running Backs
Josh Jacobs (Start, RB2)
Is Josh Jacobs an RB1? In this environment, he just might be, as the Raiders back is averaging nearly 5 yards-per-carry, and has 70 of his team’s 91 rushing attempts. Jacobs is coming off a massive 144 yards afternoon with two scores on 28 rushing attempts against the Denver Broncos.
It may be time to consider him as an RB1. Still, against a Chiefs defense that has been really good against the run all year long, holding James Conner, Austin Ekeler, and Jonathan Taylor-led backfields to 80 yards a game, and understanding the Raiders are underdogs by a touchdown, Jacobs remains an RB2 for this week.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Davante Adams (Start, WR1), Mack Hollins (Sit-flex) Hunter Renfrow (Start, WR3), Darren Waller (Start, TE1)
Davante Adams has had a disappointing start to the year, that is true. However, the former Packer still has two 100-yard games on the season and averages over 10 targets a game. Simply put, he is fine. You need not worry about selling high while you still can, or anything of the sort.
Hunter Renfrow’s status is in question, as the slot specialist has missed the last two games with a concussion he suffered in week 2, and with all that’s happened lately, we preach extreme caution, and it might be best to hold him off a little longer. In case he plays, Renfrow is a solid WR3 as the safeguard for Carr in this attack.
Mack Hollins is a sit in case Renfrow plays, if he doesn’t, you can put Hollins in at flex as a desperate move, although his 3 catches for 33 yards aren’t too far off from what you should see regularly. You’re really just praying he Mosses a DB at some point for a huge gain, which is basically the root of his great performances in Weeks 1 and 3.
Darren Waller isn’t taking the world by storm, but virtually no tight end is, and he’s one of the few with legitimate big-play ability, firmly entrenched as a TE1.
Kansas City Chiefs
Quarterbacks
Patrick Mahomes (Start, QB1)
Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts are playing like MVP candidates, and the SuperBowl favorite runs through Josh Allen, but every once in a while, this fellow from Kansas City reminds us why he is the best in the business, and any debate of the sort should be firmly sidelined for the foreseeable future. Mahomes absolutely destroyed what had been to that point the best defense in the sport on Sunday Night Football.
Mahomes leads the league in passing touchdowns with 11 and has a ridiculous 82.3 QBR. The Chiefs’ offense does miss Tyreek Hill but is also fine with its current set of weapons, and there isn’t a lot to say about Mahomes other than that he might be the best football player ever.
Running Backs
Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Start, RB2)
A couple of things to clarify here. Yes, Clyde Edwards-Helaire is putting up RB1 numbers, but no he is not an RB1. The glass-half-full folk will look at his incredible efficiency and point to the upside if he gets more volume as he did against Tampa.
The counterpoint is that Edwards-Helaire’s production is rooted in him scoring five touchdowns in four weeks, and you shouldn’t expect him to score over one TD per game, averaging fewer than ten rushing attempts. The 19 rushes against the Bucs came with a very positive game script, in which KC basically didn’t need to pass anymore in the middle of the third quarter. That type of volume is going to be rare for CEH.
The best you can hope for is that Edwards-Helaire puts up a poor’s man 2021 Austin Ekeler stat line, and just maximizes on his scoring opportunities.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
JuJu Smith Schuster (Start, WR3), Marquez Valdes-Scantling (Sit), Skyy Moore(Sit), Travis Kelce (Start, TE1)
This offense runs through Travis Kelce, and beyond that, even with the upside of evenly distributed 11 receiving touchdowns, there is not a lot of upside. Kelce has caught 26 of 34 targets for 322 yards, and three touchdowns, all marks that lead the team.
JuJu Smith-Schuster is taking over as the leading wideout but hasn’t done anything special with 224 yards on 19 catches, and no touchdowns, leaving him at best as a WR3 play.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling is like a poor’s man Mack Hollins at this point, as he’s caught 13 of 23 targets, and Skyy Moore is more of a punt returner rather than a meaningful member of this passing offense. CEH is the third receiver on this team, and he doesn’t even monopolize targets out of the backfield, with Jerrick McKinnon receiving eight for six catches so far.