The Raiders season is falling apart at the seams. After a 2-2 start that featured an impressive come-from-behind victory on the road in Baltimore, they dropped five straight contests and currently find themselves in a seven-way tie for the worst record in the sport. Following their recent 41-24 defeat in Cincinnati, the franchise parted ways with offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and their OL and QB coaches.
Late in the recent loss, coach Antonio Pierce made his own change: benching Gardner Minshew and his glorious mustache in favor of the recently acquired Desmond Ridder. The former third-round pick finished the afternoon completing 11 of his 16 passes for 74 yards and a touchdown. His work came in garbage time, but given the team’s current trajectory and struggles at quarterback, Ridder might’ve shown enough promise to earn the starting job.
The lone bright spot for Vegas has been the development of their rookie superstar, Brock Bowers. He’s already one of the best tight ends in the league and has been a fantasy weapon. Will a potential change at signal caller hinder Bowers’ production?
Is Brock Bowers still worth starting?
As Atlanta’s lead man, Ridder flexed solid short accuracy, but his limited arm talent and trouble with turnovers plagued his tenure. The dual-threat ability that he flashed in college with the Bearcats hasn’t quite translated over to the pros, and it’s hard to pinpoint his best quality. At this point, his role is to avoid the disastrous plays and feed his premier playmaker.
Ridder tossed a touchdown to Bowers late in Sunday’s affair, and the chemistry between the two looked solid. Minshew has gotten a tough shake, consistently getting his playing time yanked around and having little time to operate from the pocket. Those problems will exist with Ridder under center, but with a tweaked offensive scheme and ample room for improvement, the 25-year-old could prove to be a slightly better option.
Bowers is the club’s top pass catcher, and it’s not particularly close. His volume can only see an uptick, and he’ll still dominate all available targets. The passing situation can’t get much worse, so there’s no reason to fade Bowers now. He’s a premium DFS option and is still someone to target if on the trade block in your league. Trust the talent, and keep the first-year phenom in your lineup.
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