Las Vegas Raiders fantasy football: D/ST a must start in 2023 Week 15?

The Las Vegas Raiders may be a longshot to make the NFL playoffs for the 2023 season, but it is officially playoff time in the world of fantasy football. As owners lock in today to attack the waiver wire, and possibly make a move towards a championship, the action for Week 15 kicks off with an AFC West battle between the Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers.

Thursday Night Football is always a worrisome scenario for fantasy football, and this week is no different. With major injuries for both teams going into this one, you may want to proceed with caution if you plan to lock in any Raiders players for this upcoming matchup.

Here, we dive into a fantasy football outlook for the Silver and Black in Week 15.

Start: Proceed with caution on all Raiders players

Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs are listed as questionable in this one, as Jacobs left the Vikings game in the second half, and Adams has come down with an illness. I would proceed with caution for these two Raiders stars, as this one could be a low-scoring affair inside Allegiant Stadium in Week 15.

One area of the Raiders I would look to target, however, is the defense, who held the Minnesota Vikings to three points last weekend. The Raiders defense is coming on at the right time, and we are finally seeing some excellent play from 2023 first round pick, Tyree Wilson.

Los Angeles is going with Easton Stick at quarterback with Justin Herbert placed on IR, and if Week 14 was any indication, he could struggle in a big way against this Raiders pass rush.

Sit: Raiders complementary players

Be wary of playing all complementary Raiders players in this one, including Hunter Renfrow, Jakobi Meyers, and Michael Mayer. The Raiders offense was absolutely atrocious this past weekend against the Minnesota Vikings, and with the season on the line, I would expect Aidan O'Connell to lean on Adams and Jacobs in a big way on Thursday night.

Staying with O'Connell, he proved to be a must-bench quarterback last week, as NFL teams may have figured out how to attack him. He is still a rookie, and possibly the team's future at the position, but it could be a struggle for him down the stretch of the 2023 NFL season, and that starts with this matchup against Los Angeles.