Jakobi Meyers Week 1 Outlook - Raiders at Broncos

By Derek Brown (FantasyPros), Sun, Sep 10th 2023, 12:05pm EDT

Meyers ranks 26th in targets and 24th in target share (21.4%) over the last two seasons. He inked a 3-year deal with the Raiders this offseason, reuniting him with his former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. He joins a Las Vegas offense filled with playmakers, including Josh Jacobs, Davante Adams, and Hunter Renfrow. And that offense will be led by ex-Patriots and 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. And that's where things could be problematic for Meyers, who has been the target hog in a lackluster Patriots offense over the last two seasons. It's hard to envision Meyers commanding a 23% target share (a mark he has reached the last two seasons) with Adams' alpha presence in the offense, along with Renfrow chipping in. However, the Waller trade suggests Meyers could still end up as the clear-cut No. 2 - which is a pretty enticing role. I'd imagine Meyers still plays primarily on the outside, with Renfrow operating from the slot in 11 personnel, which means Meyers won't leave the field (as he did in the preseason). That makes Meyers a fringy WR4 option in Week 1 with him most likely taking over the Mack Hollins role. Hollins finished 10th in routes run per dropback (93%) and commanded 1,153 air yards as the clear-cut No. 2 wide receiver in the Raiders offense last season. He finished last season as WR41 in half-point scoring, which seems like a nice floor projection for Meyers's season-long numbers. There's more competition in the offense for targets, but Meyers is the superior talent after averaging nearly 2.0 yards per route run in 2022. The Surtain-Adams matchup could also force targets toward Meyers in Week 1, as it did for Hollins the last time LV played the Broncos. Hollins commanded nine targets for 6 catches and 52 yards in that Week 11 contest.