Why You Must Grab Raiders Fantasy Star Before It's Too Late

The Las Vegas Raiders had a revelatory debut to their 2025 NFL season. The team came into the campaign with a lot of question marks, but also a lot of optimism after all the changes they made to their sideline and depth chart in the offseason. Head Coach Pete Carroll was able to lead his new squad to an upset victory to begin the franchise's new era.

Ultimately, the Raiders were only able to hang 20 points on the Patriots, but they still had a very encouraging performance in Week 1, putting up nearly 400 total yards against one of the stouter defenses in the league. If it weren't for an ill-advised interception, a missed field goal, and nine penalties resulting in 81 yards against Las Vegas, this game might not have been nearly as close.

Geno Smith's arrival offered a lot of promise, as a clear, drastic upgrade over 2024 quarterbacks Gardner Minshew II, Aidan O'Connell, and Desmond Ridder. He had mixed results in Game 1, including his pick on the Raiders' second drive of the game, but showed off the potential that has him contending for a spot among the top-10 passers in the NFL.

Las Vegas Raiders, NFL, New England Patriots, Geno Smith — Sep 7, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) drops back to pass against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Geno Smith won't be available for long

Against the New England Patriots, Geno Smith took advantage of a shorthanded secondary missing a premier young cornerback in Christina Gonzalez, throwing for 362 yards on 24-of-34 passing and one touchdown. He also rushed twice for 10 more yards.

He didn't have the most outstanding statistical game, with 18.5 fantasy points, 15th among quarterbacks in Week 1. However, he showed enough to establish himself as a top waiver wire target moving forward. FanDuel Research's Riley Thomas believes so, too:

"The Las Vegas Raiders rolled out a new-look offense in Week 1, logging 20 points and 389 total yards in a win over the New England Patriots. While Ashton Jeanty took most of the headlines prior to the season, the run game stumbled to 56 rushing yards and 2.3 yards per carry.

Geno Smith was slinging it today against the Patriots. pic.twitter.com/mBkZmxpNCC
— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) September 7, 2025

Geno Smith led the way by completing 24 of 34 passing attempts (70.6%) for 362 passing yards and 10.6 yards per passing attempt. His deep ball figured to provide a lift to this offense, but I didn't expect such a dramatic impact in Week 1.

His high volume and 0.29 EPA/db makes Smith a clear waiver target. Rostered in only 21% of leagues, he should offer less competition than adding Penix, as well."

Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots, NFL, Geno Smith — Sep 7, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) drops back to pass against the New England Patriots in the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

What's next for Geno Smith?

Smith and the Raiders' schedule opens up significantly in the coming weeks. They face a middling defense in Week 2 against the Los Angeles Chargers, before getting six straight matchups against some highly questionable units in the Washington Commanders, Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Kansas City Chiefs.

At some point in that stretch, Smith likely won't be available on the waiver wire anymore. By the end of it, he could be commanding some pretty hefty trade packages from fantasy owners in desperate need of an upgrade at quarterback.

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