Fantasy football has become more popular than ever. And why shouldn’t it be? Whoever had the idea of sitting around with your boys, kicking back some brews, and watching football competitively should be given a medal!

But where do the Oakland Raiders fit into a bro’s fantasy game? Unfortunately they don’t. The 2013 Oakland Raiders are a team filled with potential all across the board. Sorry to all the people who keep echoing that Oakland has a depleted roster that is filled with holes. But the truth is, GM Reggie McKenzie, filled in a good portion of those weak spots. Between free agency and the draft, Oakland isn’t too shabby on paper.

That’s the good news for Raider’s fans. The bad news is, fantasy football is not about potential. Stats are all that counts in the fantasy world, and nobody wearing the silver and black can really step up as a standout fantasy superstar. As of right now most of the roster is rather unproven.  However, some Raiders can fit into one’s squad.

Darren McFadden -Due to injury and lack of productivity in general, McFadden, will most likely drop in fantasy drafts. This is good news! With a power running scheme back in town McFadden could have a breakout season. So long as he stays healthy (what are the chances he goes down again) I would rank McFadden as high as the number two back on a fantasy team.

Denarius Moore/ Jacoby Ford – These are the only two receivers in Oakland worth gambling on. Because of the ever so frequent injuries in Oakland the receivers are not very consistent. But it never hurts to have potential riding the bench. If Moore or Ford play big in weeks one and two, they might be worth a start in week three. Jacoby Ford can also come in handy in leagues that reward points for special teams scores.

Nov 11, 2012; Baltimore, MD, USA; Oakland Raiders receiver Denarius Moore (17) is defended by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (59) at M

Despite all the love and fanfare for Rod Streater, I really don’t see number 80 being a huge part of the team in 2013. The kid stepped up and filled in when he needed to, but all I see is an alright possession receiver similar to Derek Hagan. Stay away from him as I predict him disappearing (prove me wrong Streater, I’d love to see you become a superstar).

Sebastian Janikowski – Always a great secret weapon! Many leagues reward more points for 50-plus yard kicks. Jano just happens to kick those in almost as much as he gets in trouble at the strip club.

Oakland Raiders Defense – Fantasy defenses make the most points from creating turnovers. Something I believe D.J. Hayden will excel at under the tutelage of Tracy Porter. Both corners have great ball skills, and will be helped by a rejuvenated linebacking corp. Keep this defense on the bench until they prove themselves.

Wish I could say more about the Raiders here. Flynn, Pryor, and Wilson are all to iffy to even take as a bench players. The tight ends are a free for all that anybody could win. Seriously they should take open tryouts for tight end, its bad.

Comment who you think has fantasy potential!

Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

Greeting Nation. It’s that time of the year, Fantasy Football. Most have you have already drafted. Today, I’m going to chat a bit about Oakland Raider fantasy options. In the past, I’ve usually steered clear of just about all Raiders when it comes to fantasy football. I try not to choose my team with my heart, but purely stats. In the last few years, my attitude has changed. With the emergence of Darren McFadden, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Denarius Moore and the Polish Cannon, Sebastian Janikowski, I can draft with my heart and a bit of stats to back up my picks. Let’s start with the no brainer then work towards the value picks, then the WTF picks.

No brainer; Darren McFadden is a first round talent that you should never pass up. However, if you do pick DMC, make sure you have other later round options, incase the injury bug jumps up and bites his toe again. DMC has never played a whole 16 game season but you already knew that. No brainer; Sebastian Janikowski. Sea Bass is the best kicker in the NFL and the best kicker ever to wear silver and black. Enough said. Go ahead and pick him in the first round! Ha Ha!

Now for some “value” picks. Darrius Heyward-Bey had a break out season last year showing sure hands and his lightning quick routes. DHB would be a great 3^rd or back up receiver. We still need to see his chemistry with Carson Palmer though. All other Raider receivers I wouldn’t touch unless you are looking for a late round sleeper, then I would go Rod Streater. With Denarius Moore, on clipboard duty and Jacoby Ford playing scared, Palmer has shown a great affinity to the huge target, Mr. Streater.

A Raider I would not draft this season would be Carson Palmer. His erratic play this preseason has me worried. Jeckle and Hyde is a great choice for a Sunday matinee, but not a good choice on your fantasy team. I’m not a Carson hater, I’m honestly cheering for the man, but when it comes to fantasy football, when in doubt, don’t draft a turd.

Greg Simon

JBB Staff Writer

@simonizr

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October 2, 2011; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden (20) runs the ball against the New England Patriots in the third quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Patriots defeated the Raiders 31-19. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-US PRESSWIRE

Every Sunday in the fall, groups of bros gather in mancaves across the nation to cheer on their favorite teams. The groups generally consist of three different types of fans. The Home team Fan whom cheers for any yahoo hailing from the same state (this fan group is typically larger then the remaining two groups). The third branch of football fandom is the Chosen Fan. This type of fan shares a special bond with his/her team of choice other than location (commonly confused with the third type of fan). The final fan type is the most hated fan in all the football world. The Bandwagon Fan is a fan of whatever team is headlining Sports Center. This sad pathetic animal mocks those who have found comfort in a football family knowing their team is always the one that wins.

Unfortunately dealing with the latter of fans has become increasingly worse. With the rising popularity of fantasy football many fans have gone rogue jumping on the bandwagons of players. Fantasy football is a great game, and doesn’t require one to leave their team. Although it may feel like cheating it is perfectly acceptable to partake in this competition amongst bros. However, one mathematical rule must always be followed when playing fantasy football; The Oakland Raiders > your fantasy team.

Sadly this game tends to give a leg up to those band-wagoners who don’t feel so guilty when drafting players from all around the NFL. So in order for all of the Raider fanatics out there to beat those loud mouthed homeless fans, knowing what Oakland has to offer in the fantasy world is crucial. Hopefully this evaluation of players will allow the Raider faithful to claim their rightful spot at the top of everything football.

Darren McFadden – Lets start with the hottest player on Oakland’s roster. Now in today’s drafts a lot of people want to go out and grab big name quarterbacks in the first round. That’s great and all, but I’m old fashioned and prefer to start my team out with a solid running back. I can back this method up by pointing out that it is quite difficult to find a quality running back. Whereas it is rather easy to come across a solid quarterback in later rounds (Eli Manning, Mathew Stafford, Big Ben). Darren McFadden I believe will drop in most leagues due to the QB craziness and a lack of faith due to his injury problems. This Raider is far past due for a breakout season and should be drafted before the 9th overall pick in most peoples drafts.

Carson Palmer – I expect a great season out of Palmer. With a rejuvenated McFadden, a great offensive line, and a horrible defense this quarterback will be slinging the ball plenty. With that said, Palmer is too inconsistent to be a starter in somebody’s roster. He is a late round pick and a backup at best. The fact that the Raiders defense seems close to hopeless will hurt Palmer and force him to be responsible for leading comebacks. These comeback attempts will very likely end in games with 3 or more interceptions. I also predict Palmer putting up some big numbers in games where he is able to manage his passes better. Unfortunately Palmer is just to unpredictable to start and should be left alone to hang loose in free agency.

The Raider Recievers – This group of recievers will cause defenses fits week in and week out. The speed of Jacoby Ford, with the Deep threat of Denarius Moore, and the route running of Darius Heyward-Bey is just the tip of the ice berg when it comes to this talent filled position in the Bay. Looking at it from a fantasy perspective is more then just talent. Fantasy is about players putting up stats. Oakland Recievers are the worst recievers to have on your fantasy team. The Raiders utilize many of their weapons throughout the season and due to the large number of playmakers at this position it makes it near impossible to tell which reciever is going to come up big. Stay away from these guys if you want to win.

Seabastion Janikowki – This is a no brainer. Take him late and watch him rival your tight ends and defenses in points.

The Raider’s Defense – If it comes down to it, dont play a defense. I wish I could say this defense was anywhere close to good, but they couldnt stop a car with a stop sign.

Best of luck Raider Nation!