Fantasy Football Impact on Brock Bowers, Jakobi Meyers With Chip Kelly Named Raiders OC

Michael Fabiano | Feb 3, 2025

Chip Kelly has been named the new offensive coordinator of the Las Vegas Raiders. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Chip Kelly is back!

Kelly, the offensive coordinator on Ohio State’s national championship team this season, has been hired for the same position with the Las Vegas Raiders. It will be his first time coaching in the NFL since 2016 when he was the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers.

Kelly will attempt to improve a Raiders offense that was fourth-worst in points per game and sixth-worst in net yards per game this season. Of course, fantasy fans want to know how Kelly’s presence will affect the team’s top fantasy players, which there aren’t many.

So, let’s look at what Kelly did in his first stint in the NFL.

Philadelphia Eagles (2013-2015)

Kelly’s offenses in Philadelphia were productive in the first two years, as they ranked fourth and third in points per game and second and fifth in yards per game, respectively. In those two years, the Eagles threw the football 55.3 percent of the time and ran it 44.7 percent of the time.

Those Eagles teams had talent, and it started with Nick Foles in 2013. He had a career year with 27 touchdown passes and just two interceptions, to finish as the QB11. On a points-per-game basis, however, only Peyton Manning and Drew Brees were better at quarterback. LeSean McCoy was the RB3 that season, and DeSean Jackson was 12th in points among fantasy wideouts. Brent Celek was the TE20, but he shared targets with fellow tight end Zach Ertz.

The offense dropped every year after that 2013 campaign, however.

In 2014, the Eagles were third in points and fifth in offensive yards. Those are solid totals, but the top fantasy players didn’t perform as well. Foles missed half the season, leaving backup Mark Sanchez at the helm. He finished as the QB27. McCoy was good, but not as good, finishing as the RB12. Jeremy Maclin led all Eagles wideouts in fantasy points, finishing as the WR7.

The 2015 season saw major changes, as Foles, McCoy and Maclin left as free agents. The Eagles added Sam Bradford and DeMarco Murray as replacements … Bradford was the QB24, and Murray was a disappointment as the RB15. Jordan Matthews was their best fantasy wideout at WR17, and Ertz started to emerge into a fantasy star as the TE9.

In all, Kelly’s Eagles offense threw the ball 56.8 percent of the time and ran it 43.2 percent of the time. It didn’t field a top-10 fantasy quarterback (Foles was close), and only once did the offense have a top-10 fantasy running back (McCoy – 2013) or top-10 wide receiver (Maclin – 2014).

San Francisco 49ers (2016)

The numbers we saw from Kelly’s offense in San Francisco were downright awful, but to be fair, the talent level was seriously lacking. His offenses threw the football 54 percent of the time and ran 46 percent of the time. The Niners were 31st in points and 27th in offensive yards.

At quarterback, Colin Kaepernick ranked 25th in fantasy points. Carlos Hyde was the RB18. The wide receiver room lacked talent, as Jeremy Kerley was their best fantasy asset ... and he was the WR52. The Niners didn’t have another wideout finish in the top 90 that season.

At tight end, Vance McDonald was their best player … and he finished as the TE32.

Raiders Fantasy Football Impact

The Raiders have as many offensive holes as any team in the NFL. Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew are both under contract at quarterback, but the team has the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and might use it on a new field general. If Las Vegas doesn’t upgrade the position, it will be tough for Kelly's offense to make a major fantasy impact in Year 1.

The Raiders only have Sincere McCormick and Zamir White at running back, as Alexander Mattison and Ameer Abdullah are slated to become free agents. The team does have the second-most money to spend based on Spotrac data, however, so you’d have to think the team will upgrade a position that has had success under Kelly and new head coach Pete Carroll. I’d like to see them make a trade with Tampa Bay to acquire Rashaad White.

The current roster might be the worst in the league in terms of wide receiver talent. Jakobi Meyers was very good in fantasy last season, but they have no other impact players at the position. Clearly, that position needs to be addressed this offseason. Maybe they’ll make a play to grab one of the top free agents, like Tee Higgins, Stefon Diggs or Chris Godwin.

The latter, who was on a serious statistical pace before getting hurt, has a relationship with minority owner Tom Brady. Keenan Allen and Amari Cooper are also potential options. The Raiders are obviously set at tight end with stud Brock Bowers, who figures to be the first player at his position picked in 2025 fantasy drafts (he was in my initial mock draft). He'll continue to be featured in 2025.

Kelly’s system helped the fantasy value of players in Philadelphia, at least when he had the talent. The Raiders don’t have that right now. But with a ton of dough to spend, 10 picks in the draft including Nos. 6, 37, 68 and 73 overall, this roster should look significantly different in the very near future.

Still, I’d be surprised if this team has a glut of fantasy assets in 2025.