Boom-or-Bust: Raiders Face Mixed Fantasy Matchup in Week 5

The Raiders have delivered some perplexing fantasy performances through the first four weeks of the 2025 NFL season. Who can be trusted against the Colts?

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

The Las Vegas Raiders have been one of the most interesting fantasy football teams this season. They've fielded some truly outlier explosive performances.

Geno Smith was the third-highest-scoring quarterback in Week 3 due to his three-touchdown, 289-yard outing against the Washington Commanders. He followed that up with three interceptions and just 12.8 fantasy points in his last game versus the Chicago Bears.

Tre Tucker was the primary beneficiary of Geno's box score success in Week 3, catching all three of his touchdowns and leading all receivers in scoring with a monster 40.9 full-PPR point game. Ashton Jeanty finally exploded onto the scene last week against Chicago, putting up 155 total yards and three touchdowns, totaling 33.5 points. What can the Raiders' fantasy owners expect in Week 5's clash with the Indianapolis Colts?

One player to bench, one to start

Sep 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) runs the ball during the first quarter against the Chicago Bears at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

1. Geno Smith

Geno Smith came into the 2025 NFL season with optimism that he could wind up a low-end starting fantasy quarterback this year. The hope was that he could succeed behind an offensive line that was at least slightly better than his protection in the tail end of his tenure with the Seattle Seahawks, enabled by a deep host of weapons with the Las Vegas Raiders.

So far, that hasn't come to fruition, aside from Week 3's outlier game against the Washington Commanders in a blowout loss. NFL.com's Michael Florio believes that Smith has been too shaky to start at this point:

"Through the first month of the season, Smith has had one big fantasy outing. Some managers chased the points last week, but the veteran finished with fewer than 10 fantasy points. Turnovers have been an issue, as he's thrown a league-high seven picks. The Colts are a middle-of-the-pack matchup, but Smith's floor has been too low to trust."

Sep 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (16) warms up prior to the game against the Chicago Bears at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

2. Jakobi Meyers

Still, someone's going to have to move the chains against the Indianapolis Colts. Both Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty remain must-starts due to the high investment drafters would have spent to get them. They're not the only Raiders who might have a decent fantasy outing in Week 5, though. CBS Sports' Jamey Eisenberg believes that Jakobi Meyers should get the starting nod against Indy:

"Meyers struggled the past two games against Washington and Chicago with a combined 16.3 PPR points, but he had seven targets against the Bears in a game where Geno Smith attempted just 21 passes. Meyers remains a go-to option for Smith, and he should start playing at a high level again, including in Week 5 against the Colts. Indianapolis is No. 3 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, and four receivers in the past three games scored at least 13.8 PPR points. I like Meyers as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues."

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