Few players have as many variables floating around their future value as Tre Tucker. However, in the present, the sophomore wideout just continues to produce. A week after a breakout performance against the Panthers, Tucker had another big day versus the Browns on Sunday. Well, “big” in the context of the Raiders’ overall offensive showing. On an afternoon where Las Vegas registered a paltry 116 net passing yards, Tucker still managed a team-best five receptions for 41 yards. Plus, he netted himself a goal line carry and a touchdown on this nifty reserve:
Tucker logged a season-high 84.7% snap share in the 20-16 victory. While some of that role can be attributed to the absence of Davante Adams (hamstring), I wouldn’t be too quick to dismiss Tucker as nothing more than an injury replacement. First and foremost, it’s not as if Tucker wasn’t seeing comparable time on the field even with Adams active. In fact, Tucker’s played at least 60% of the Raiders’ offensive snaps in every game this season, as Las Vegas has operated in 11 personnel at one of the league’s most frequent rates (76.3%).
Secondly, Adams’ availability for the Raiders, both in the short-term and the long-term, is hazy at the moment. The veteran’s ailment has been described as week-to-week, which puts some serious doubt into his status for Week 5’s tilt with the Broncos. Beyond that, there are very loud rumblings that Adams might be on the move before the league’s November 5 trade deadline. An absence doesn’t get more permanent than that.
Still, despite all these factors seemingly moving in the favor of Tucker’s fantasy value, I’m also here to warn against letting expectations get too lofty with the former third-round pick. At the end of the day, regardless of where Adams’ is playing his football, Las Vegas has one of football’s most underwhelming aerial attacks. Heck, there were questions about Gardner Minshew getting benched less than two weeks ago, which appear relatively valid given that the QB has thrown for only three touchdowns in four starts. It’s also not as if Jakobi Meyers or Brock Bowers are going anywhere anytime soon.
Tre Tucker has earned being rostered in every format. Yet it would be unwise to consider him as more than a WR3 with upside moving forward.
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
