3 Unexpected Fantasy Takeaways from Raiders' Discouraging Loss to Broncos

The Las Vegas Raiders were officially swept by the Denver Broncos in the 2025 NFL season after dropping the second leg, 24-17.

Dec 7, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) carries the ball against the Denver Broncos during the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders dropped their seventh straight game in Week 14, this time getting swept by the Denver Broncos with a 24-17 loss at home.

This team wasn't expected to beat the current AFC West leader, but they were hoping to show some signs of improvement from the first time they faced the Broncos. Instead, they seemingly went backward with Greg Olson as offensive coordinator instead of Chip Kelly.

That's not exactly fair, though. The margin may have been closer in the first leg of the season series, but that was more a result of the Broncos playing down to their opponent than a testament to anything Kelly or the Raiders did right. In their first matchup with Denver, Las Vegas only put seven points on the board. They had a lot more offensive success in this last game, even if a lot of it came in garbage time.

Is Kenny Pickett the answer?

Dec 7, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) is sacked by Denver Broncos defensive tackle Malcolm Roach (97) during the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

1. Geno Smith

At this point in the season, it's clear that the only impact Geno Smith will have on fantasy football is what he does for the Las Vegas Raiders' other options. He didn't play an awful game against the Denver Broncos, finishing with 116 yards and a touchdown on 13-of-21 passing, but he couldn't consistently move the chains on an elite defensive unit.

Smith exited this game with a shoulder injury. Initial scans didn't show any serious damage, but with the season already lost and his abysmal performance this year, this could be the end of his time with the Raiders, at least for the remainder of the campaign.

Dec 7, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kenny Pickett (15) reacts with wide receiver Shedrick Jackson (4) as the pair connected for a touchdown against the Denver Broncos during the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

2. Kenny Pickett

Kenny Pickett spelled Smith after the Raiders' starting quarterback went to the locker room. While the contest was already well out of hand when he came in, Pickett moved the ball encouragingly well in his limited time at the helm. He threw for 97 yards and a touchdown on 8-of-11 passing against the Broncos, who were essentially playing prevent defense to avoid any kind of last-minute comeback on huge plays.

Still, Pickett could wind up bringing some more life to this offense. It's not like Smith set a very high bar. That could lead to some resurgent Raiders performances in the fantasy playoffs.

Dec 7, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) carries the ball as Denver Broncos cornerback Jahdae Barron (23) defends during the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

3. Ashton Jeanty

A big focus for new offensive coordinator Greg Olson was to fix Las Vegas' abysmal run game. Chip Kelly was fired largely because he couldn't maximize Ashton Jeanty, whom the Raiders took with the sixth-overall pick in the previous draft. So far, Jeanty's been just as unproductive under Olson.

In Week 14, he finished with just 30 yards on 10 carries and caught two balls for eight yards. It wasn't likely that Jeanty would get much going against a stout Denver run defense, but he's got to show more in the final few games of the season. His fantasy managers will be hoping that Pickett can open things up more on the ground.

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