Time to Give Up on Raiders Star's Fantasy Prospects

The Las Vegas Raiders have been highly disappointing in their 1-3 start to the 2025 NFL season, including in the world of fantasy football.
Sep 21, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; The Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll looks on from the sidelines during the first half against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images
Sep 21, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; The Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll looks on from the sidelines during the first half against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images / Amber Searls-Imagn Images
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The Las Vegas Raiders just took a very deflating loss in Week 4 to the Chicago Bears. The game itself was heartbreaking. The Raiders had a plethora of opportunities to go out and take this one, and instead gave it away to their opponents. Still, they had a chance in the final seconds to knock down a game-winning field goal and escape with a victory.

Ultimately, Daniel Carlson's 54-yard boot was blocked by Bears cornerback Josh Blackwell, and Chicago came out on top, 25-24. With the loss, Las Vegas dropped to 1-3, effectively decimating its odds to make the playoffs. On the bright side, the AFC has been relatively weak all around so far this season, which leaves the door open for the Raiders to possibly contend for a Wild Card spot with a strong late-season run.

However, the way they failed to take advantage of an opportune matchup with Chicago has thrown Las Vegas' hopes of turning its year around into question. A lot of the pessimism revolves around quarterback Geno Smith, who hasn't come close to meeting expectations with his new team, especially in fantasy football.

Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders, NFL, Chicago Bears
Sep 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) runs with the ball during the second quarter against the Chicago Bears at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Should fantasy players give up on Geno Smith?

Geno Smith has arguably lost the Las Vegas Raiders two games in the 2025 NFL season, having thrown three picks each against both the Los Angeles Chargers and the Chicago Bears in narrow losses. He's also likely tanked several fantasy matchups for his owners.

There were high hopes that Smith could continue to ascend after an encouraging outing in Week 4 versus the Washington Commanders. The Chicago Bears presented him with an advantageous matchup with a highly questionable defense. Unfortunately, he couldn't capitalize.

ESPN's Tristan H. Cockcroft believes that Geno Smith's three-pick performance against the Bears made him one of the biggest fantasy losers of Week 4:

"A popular streaming option due to the matchup against the Chicago Bears — he was started in a season-high 21.9% of ESPN leagues — Smith flopped, scoring only 9.78 fantasy points in large part due to his throwing three interceptions. He struggled particularly on deeper throws, as all three picks came on throws at least 10 yards downfield, giving him a league-leading seven now in those situations. Fantasy managers will be much less likely to trust him when the matchups are right."

Looking ahead, Smith may have already played the worst defense he'll see this season when he gave up three turnovers to the Bears. He has one favorable matchup left against the Tennessee Titans, but faces a flurry of strong defenses, such as the Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos, and Philadelphia Eagles.

Find us on X (formerly Twitter) @HondoCarpenter and Instagram @HondoSr to get all our Raiders' key fantasy updates each week.

While here, check out our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE to discuss Geno Smith's fantasy performance this season.

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Andy Quach
ANDY QUACH

Andy Quach is a journalism graduate from Florida Gulf Coast University with extensive experience covering the NFL, NBA, and college sports. He is the assistant beat writer for the Jacksonville Jaguars Om SI, and also serves as the fantasy sports and betting reporter for four NFL teams.