Week 15 at Cincinnati Bengals
The Raiders head to the eastern time zone for an early kickoff in Cincinnati. Oakland is a road underdog with a middle of the road implied team total, which should lead to negative game script. However, the Bengals are top 10 in aFPA to WRs, meaning Derek Carr should continue to target his tight end. Cincinnati is just 18th in aFPA to TEs, and Jared Cook has a touchdown and/or 100 yards in four straight games. Fire him up with confidence.
Week 14 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Raiders have an implied team total of fewer than 21 points, among the bottom ten teams in the league this week. The Steelers defense has had its struggles, but recently, that has come against offenses much better than Oakland's. Pittsburgh still ranks above the league average in aFPA to TEs, but not as good as their rankings against RBs and WRs. This sets up well for Jared Cook, who has more double-digit PPR games over the past four weeks than all of Oakland's wide receivers combined. Start him with confidence.
Week 13 vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City is ranked in the bottom five in aFPA to TEs. A very high over/under in this game also keeps the Raiders from the bottom teams in implied team total for Week 13, suggesting some potential negative game script to bolster a pedestrian Oakland passing attack. Over the past month, seven Raiders receivers have combined for just one double-digit PPR game (Brandon LaFell, 10.9, Week 11). That is pathetic passing game production. Meanwhile, Jared Cook has back-to-back double-digit PPR games with 9.2 PPR points in Week 9. He's a solid TE1 for Week 13 in all formats.
Week 12 at Baltimore Ravens
The Raiders travel across the country as a double-digit underdog, tied for the lowest implied team total of Week 12 at just 16 points. Baltimore also ranks top five in aFPA to WRs. Jordy Nelson is questionable this week, after beginning the practice week as a limited participant. Jared Cook has received 15 targets over the past two weeks, and given how tough the Ravens are against receivers and how thin fantasy TE is, Cook remains in the low-end TE1 mix.
Week 11 at Arizona Cardinals
The Raiders are so bad at this point in the season that Oakland is a 5.5-point underdog to a two-win team this week. The Raiders implied team total of 17.5 points is also the lowest on the slate this week by a full two points. That's not a recipe for fantasy success. The Cardinals are third in the league in aFPA to TEs but only 27th against RBs, potentially foreshadowing a run-heavy attack for Oakland this week. That doesn't bode well for Jared Cook. Nine targets last week but only four receptions for 52 yards shows Cook may still be on the low-end TE1 radar for the rest of the season, but his ceiling is capped by how poor his offense is.
Week 10 vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Let's check in on the Raiders offense as they begin the second half of their season: 19th in total offense, 28th in scoring offense and 24th in rushing offense. The Jon Gruden era is going swimmingly so far. The Raiders also have one of the lowest implied team totals this week against Los Angeles. The pass catchers aren't seeing nearly enough targets either to provide help to starting lineups, as the offense just isn't moving the ball enough. Jared Cook had just two targets last week in a disaster of a showing in San Francisco. He's still a low-end starting option though, given his spot in the pecking order for targets in Oakland and the lowly state of the fantasy TE position.
Week 9 at San Francisco 49ers (Thursday)
Here's how the targets played out in Oakland's first game without Amari Cooper: Jalen Richard 8, Jared Cook 5, Jordy Nelson 4, Seth Roberts 4, Brandon LaFell 4, Doug Martin 2, Keith Smith 1. Feels like Washington West, huh? Derek Carr, like Alex Smith, did not heavily target his receivers. In a great match-up with potential added possessions due to the possibility of San Francisco starting a third-string quarterback, fire up Cook as an upper tier option in Week 9
Week 8 vs. Indianapolis Colts
It's hard to know what to expect from the Raiders pass catchers now in terms of fantasy production with Amari Cooper traded. The one reliable volume option should be Jared Cook, but this is more about how shallow fantasy TE is this season. Without many reliable options, you're basically starting Cook by default, since he's no worse than second in the target pecking order in Oakland with Cooper gone. Negative game script and the Colts ranking a little worse than league average in aFPA to TEs should make for a solid fantasy day for Cook in Week 8.
Week 6 vs. Seattle Seahawks (London)
Jared Cook is fourth among TEs in targets per game with more than eight per contest. He had his worst week in Week 5, but his production prior to that is at the level where you keep starting Cook in fantasy lineups, unless you have one of the big three names at the position. The position is too thin in fantasy this season to mess around with not playing Cook in Week 6. The match-up is decent too, as Seattle is just 18th in aFPA to TEs.
Week 5 at Los Angeles Chargers
This game has the second-highest over/under of Sunday and Monday's games, and Jared Cook is the late-round TE so many fantasy owners were hoping for this season. The position has been decimated with poor play and injuries. Cook's two monster games this year though are enough to put him into high-end TE1 consideration for Week 5. His floor remains low each week though, especially against a Chargers defense that ranks 4th in aFPA to TEs.
