subject: Oakland Raiders Tickets - Campbell Could Straighten Out Offense [print this page] It's been difficult to tell just how talented the Raiders are with a gaping hole at quarterback over the last couple seasons under JaMarcus Russell. With the Raiders upgrading at quarterback by bringing in Jason Campbell, however, Al Davis' team could finally be getting back into the mix in the relatively weak AFC West. Let's take a look at the top fantasy options on the Raiders this season.
Zach Miller, Tight End:
The one thing that JaMarcus Russell was able to do last season was find Zach Miller. Miller had 66 catches for 805 yards and three touchdowns last year in 15 games, making him one of the more productive tight ends in the game. Miller has increased his catches and yards all three seasons in the NFL and Campbell knows how to hit tight ends, which he proved by developing chemistry with Chris Cooley in Washington. Though Miller hasn't gotten into the endzone too much in his career, Campbell should improve Miller's red zone viability.
Projection: 70 catches, 850 yards, six touchdowns.
Darrius Heyward-Bey, Wide Receiver:
Outside of Al Davis and his overall stress level, no one will benefit from JaMarcus Russell's departure more than Heyward-Bey. In his rookie season, Heyward-Bey had just nine catches before getting hurt and missing the final five games of the year. Part of the lack of production definitely was Heyward-Bey's tendency to drop catchable balls, but he was also stuck in an offense that simply could not throw the ball down the field. Jason Campbell isn't exactly Peyton Manning, but he's a capable pro quarterback who will find a way to get the talented Heyward-Bey into the offense. With exceptional size and speed, the former first-round pick could surprise some people this year by posting a good season. Outside of tight end Miller, Heyward-Bey also won't have much real competition - if any - for targets this season.
Projection: 45 catches, 775 yards, four touchdowns.
Jason Campbell, Quarterback:
Even though Campbell isn't a top-tier fantasy option, it isn't wise to completely overlook him, either. Campbell has increased his completion percentage, passing yards and touchdowns in each of his four seasons in the NFL, suggesting he's still on the rise. Last year in Washington, Campbell was a viable backup fantasy signal caller, as he threw for 20 touchdowns and more than 3,600 total yards. Campbell will also give you some rushing yards and last year ran for 236. Though Campbell isn't in the greatest situation, he'll bring some legitimacy to the quarterback position in Oakland and could be a nice late-round target in your league.
When the Raiders first drafted McFadden high in the first round, everyone thought he would sell loads of Oakland Raiders tickets. Well, it hasn't worked out that way as McFadden has battled injury and a subpar offense. Even though McFadden will have to share carries with Michael Bush in 2010, it's a huge season in his career and another poor year could end with McFadden being labeled as a gigantic bust. If healthy, McFadden still has plenty of talent and the offense as a whole should be considerably better overall. If you're looking for an upside pick late in your draft, but no earlier than that, McFadden could be a nice guy to snag.
Projection: 875 combined yards, four touchdowns.
Michael Bush, Running Back:
Bush isn't as good out of the backfield as McFadden is capable of being, but Bush has also been a much more stable force toting the rock. Bush averaged an impressive 4.8 yards per carry in 2009, which could be enough for him to be officially labeled as the starting back on the team. Best case scenario for the Raiders is probably a platoon backfield with Bush carrying a lot of the load and McFadden finally starting to make some of the big plays that everyone has been waiting for.
