Deflating Fantasy Stats from Raiders Performance in Championship vs. Giants

The Las Vegas Raiders were a disappointment throughout the 2025 fantasy football season, and there's been one constant issue why.

Dec 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) is tackled by New York Giants outside linebacker Brian Burns (0) in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders have just one more chance to get their third win of the season and match their record from last year. This team was supposed to improve significantly after an offseason chock-full of aggressive moves to expedite its rebuild. Now, it's scrambling just to keep pace with its abysmal 2024 showing.

To be fair, the Raiders probably didn't want to beat the New York Giants in Week 17. Losing to New York gave Las Vegas sole possession of the worst record in the NFL and, with it, the first-overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Raiders may not have wanted to win in Week 17, but their fantasy managers sure did, and they couldn't come through there, either.

Raiders must fix their offensive line

Dec 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) is sacked by New York Giants defensive lineman Darius Alexander (91) in the fourth quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

1. 15 pressures allowed

Anyone who's kept up with this series throughout the 2025 season knows that 15 pressures allowed is actually relatively low for the Las Vegas Raiders this season. Unfortunately, with the New York Giants' rotation of speedy pass rushers, those 15 pressures turned into six quarterback hits and four sacks for 24 yards.

There's certainly a chance that the Raiders hang on to the first-overall pick in 2026 and spend it on a new QB, like Indiana's Fernando Mendoza. However, it's hard to fully gauge Geno Smith's performance in his first year in Las Vegas, considering that he was constantly under duress. It'll be difficult to assess his fantasy value next season, too.

Dec 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) and running back Ashton Jeanty (2) enter the field against the New York Giants at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

2. Ashton Jeanty - six negative runs

The Raiders ruled out Kolton Miller late in the week. There were high hopes that Ashton Jeanty could build upon his monster performance against the Houston Texans with another strong showing, especially with Miller back at left tackle, paired with the emergence of rookie guard Cam Rogers.

Unfortunately, Miller was unavailable, and Jeanty finished with just 73 total yards and two catches for a middling 9.3 full-PPR points in the championship. He could have had 81 yards, but he lost eight on negative runs. The Raiders averaged -0.1 yards before contact.

Even against a poor Giants' run defense, Las Vegas couldn't open up any lanes for Jeanty to get going. He proved against the Texans that he doesn't need much room to pick up steam. Whether the Raiders will be able to provide any for him next year is one of the most pressing fantasy issues of the offseason.

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