Fantasy Football Managers Should Cash In on Tre Tucker’s Surging Value
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Tre Tucker has been labeled a sleeper pick in fantasy football. Especially without Brock Bowers, the WR1 role has been eye-catching and lucrative, paying out in Week 2. Tucker now stands as the WR17 in fantasy football. As great as it all is, Tucker is a sell-high candidate.
The Case of Tre Tucker
Kirk Cousins with a rocket to Tre Tucker for a Raiders TD 🚀
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Over two games, Tucker has 11 targets, 7 receptions, 146 yards, and 1 touchdown. His target share is 19%, which is higher than Bowers'. Tucker is tied with Michael Mayer for the most routes run (51).
Tucker has zero drops yet. He is 4th in yards per reception (20.9), 6th in average depth of target, and 16th in receiving yards.
Things were best when Bowers was out in Week 2. Against the Los Angeles Chargers, Tucker had 7 targets for 5 receptions, 119 yards, and 1 touchdown. Interestingly, Tucker ran fewer routes (24) than he did in Week 1 (27). Tucker also ran 10 routes in the slot, compared to 4 in Week 1.
Entering the season, Tucker was ranked in the WR40-50 range. He was someone to draft on for WR1 upside (which he has met), but certainly not a weekly starter. Tucker would benefit from injuries and bye weeks. That is how his playing time would be met on your fantasy team.
With Bowers out last week, Tucker's ranking edged into the top 30 at his position. As we saw, Tucker finished in the top-10 positionally this week.
I am now assuming Bowers' expected return this upcoming Sunday. In that case, Tucker falls back in the projections. He is the WR46 this week, with projections of 5.1 targets, 3.3 receptions, 40.5 yards, and 0.2 touchdowns. Mostly, you are hoping for either a big play or a touchdown each week.
2-0 as the Raiders may be, they are still among the worst teams in the NFL. ESPN's FPI ranks this Raiders offense the 6th-worst in the NFL. They are measured at 3.2 points worse than the average NFL team, which is estimated at about 23.0 points per game.
Selling Points
Tucker can be dealt in sharp negotiations. His value is more hidden than that of another sell-high like Jalen Coker (inflated start) and Stefon Diggs (lost Jayden Daniels).
The WR1 job has been taken by Tucker. He has 11 more snaps than Nailor has had all season. Tucker has 3 more targets and twice as many yards per reception. You are selling the Raiders' No. 2 pass-catcher.
Bowers comes off a 2025 season in which he played just 12 games. Draftsharks.com labels Bowers a "Very-High" injury risk. Since Bowers' career began 24 months ago, he has endured 4 separate knee injuries.
The case is made that Bowers may miss future games in 2026. In that case, Tucker battles Michael Mayer for lead pass-catching duties on this undefeated football team.
The Reality of the Sell-High
The selling points are all great, but they cloud reality. Tucker has variance. The offense has Bowers for now, and Mayer is probably the real No. 1 pass-catcher when Bowers is out. He did have 3 fewer targets than Tucker in Week 2, but Mayer has 3 more routes run.
The Raiders are valued among the lesser NFL offenses, despite a great start. They also have the 7th-hardest remaining strength of schedule, including opponents like the Chiefs and Broncos.
Tucker has never achieved a PFF Grade above 70.0. While not bad, it is neither elite by nature. He is purely average. Plus, Tucker's 20.9 yards per reception is false advertising. I understand it's a new and optimistic offense, but that adds volatility. Tucker has not exceeded 12.2 yards per reception over the previous two seasons.
The most optimistic fantasy owners will view Tucker around WR35 in fantasy football. In reality, his range is roughly around WR45. At the end of the day, you are competing with others. Negotiation is a tool, and when presented well, he is the prime sell-high candidate in Week 3.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.