Raiders Rookie Named Fantasy Football Sleeper

Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back Dylan Laube has turned heads all offseason. He might be worth consideration as a fantasy football pickup.

Mar 2, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New Hampshire running back Dylan Laube (RB17) during the 2024 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Las Vegas Raiders are looking to vastly improve their offensive output this season under head coach Antonio Pierce. With that goal in mind, the Raiders have plenty of weapons.

A deep wide receiver room with Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, and DJ Turner will allow for the Silver and Black's vertical attack to make a mark, and 12-personnel duo Michael Mayer and generational rookie Brock Bowers look to only make Gardner Minshew II's life easier at quarterback.

The running back room, led by workhorse Zamir White, is deep. The Raiders are more than willing to pound the ball on the ground with White, Alexander Mattison and Ameer Abdullah.

It is the time of year where fantasy football leagues take shape and participants begin drafting their fantasy dream teams. Pro Football Focus' Jonathan Macri recently compiled a list of seven fantasy football sleepers heading into the season. He named Raiders rookie running back Dylan Laube as one.

"Laube currently sits behind Zamir White, Alexander Mattison and Ameer Abdullah on the depth chart with the expectation that he will at least pass the latter two options and earn a relevant passing-down role in this offense," Jonathan Macri wrote. "Through the first two preseason games, the Raiders rotated backs by drive, which indicates that they might not be fully sold on Zamir White as a starter. While Laube has a shot to work his way into some of the starting running back’s carries, the better shot for fantasy relevance likely comes from his potential to lead the backfield on passing downs.

"Laube offers a strong profile as a receiver for his career coming out of the FCS, as he posted three straight seasons with at least an 81.1 receiving grade, including a 90.5 in 2023. He’s also earned at least 60 targets in each of the past two seasons while delivering a career-high of over 700 yards and seven TDs as a receiver in 2023. With Mattison not offering much of a receiving profile at all while Abdullah is now 31 years old, it’s entirely plausible that Laube takes over that role sooner rather than later, which would up his value in deeper and PPR formats."

Macri's take on the Raiders being unsure of White as their feature back is off -- load management is a likelier explanation and it was the preseason, when all players get looks. That being said, Laube could very well be a viable late-round fantasy candidate or waiver pickup.

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