The Las Vegas Raiders' offense averaged a paltry 14.7 points per game through their first seven contests of the 2025 NFL season. While there have been plenty of issues holding the team back, it is arguable that the biggest restraint was the Week 1 injury to Brock Bowers.
After recording 103 receiving yards and helping lead the team to 17 points through three quarters, he suffered a knee injury, and Las Vegas scored just three points without him in the final frame. Bowers attempted to play through the injury; however, he was a shell of himself and averaged just 40.7 yards per game over the next three weeks.
The offense suffered in that span as well, posting just 19.0 points per game. Bowers was sidelined for the next three games, and the Raiders scored just 8.7 points per game without him. The unit had its best performance of the year in Bowers' return, as they finished with a season-high 29 points. The superstar tight end led the way offensively with a performance that will excite fantasy managers.
Brock Bowers had a rare fantasy performance in his return to the field
Bowers had the best game of his young career on Sunday, despite Las Vegas' 30-29 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. He finished with 127 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 12 receptions, adding a six-yard carry.
The Raiders star's monster day accounted for 43.3 fantasy points in PPR leagues, the most of any player in 2025. The performance was also the most points any tight end has put up since Week 13 of the 2020 season.
This occurred when Darren Waller erupted for 200 yards and two touchdowns on 13 receptions in Las Vegas' 31-28 win over the New York Jets, resulting in 45.0 PPR fantasy points. In fact, Bowers became just the second player this season to record at least 40 points in a game.
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Despite the Raiders fielding one of the league's worst offenses by nearly every metric, the first player to accomplish the feat was, ironically, Bowers' teammate Tre Tucker. The third-year wideout had a breakout game against the Washington Commanders in Week 3, posting 40.9 PPR fantasy points, as he recorded 145 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns on 8 receptions, adding a four-yard carry.
While Bowers has been banged up for most of the season, his monster performance in his return will surely excite fantasy managers. The Las Vegas star is the exact type of second-half addition that can help swing leagues in favor of those who roster him.
Additionally, it is clear that Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly made getting him involved a focal point of the offense. Bowers' 13 targets were six more than the next-highest player on the roster. The superstar tight end figures to be a high-volume, high-production player for the remainder of the year.