Las Vegas Raiders: 3 players you must start in fantasy football 2021 Week 1

Nov 7, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) hands the ball off to running back Josh Jacobs (28) during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 7, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) hands the ball off to running back Josh Jacobs (28) during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
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Las Vegas Raiders
Dec 13, 2020; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs (28) runs the ball in the third quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Las Vegas Raiders: 3 players you must start in fantasy football 2021 Week 1

Josh Jacobs, Running Back

The third-year back has slid down many draft boards due to the signing of backup running back Kenyan Drake. Will Drake take away carries from Jacobs? Yes he surely will, but also Drake will be used in a multitude of ways that will see both backs on the field during the same time.

Jacobs needed someone to come in and take some of the load off of him after a 2020 season in which he was third overall in rushing attempts. The Raiders decided in the offseason to lighten his load by bringing in Drake, which should ease the amount of wear and tear on Jacobs.

This is surely not what fantasy owners want to hear, as playing time equates to points, but hear me out with this one. Jacobs is a power-back who does his dirty work in short bursts, and his ability to find the end zone makes him a very valuable fantasy player.

Will the carries lessen this season for Jacobs? Surely they will, but with his number constantly being called in the red zone, Jacobs is a safe fantasy option week-to-week.

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