The Las Vegas Raiders selected Brock Bowers with the 13th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and it did not take long to prove himself as an elite talent in the league.
Across his rookie season, the Georgia product pulled in 112 receptions on 153 targets for 1,194 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Bowers tallied 268.7 total fantasy points and 15.8 per game based on DraftKings scoring. This ranked 60th among all players and trailed only George Kittle and Trey McBride for the most fantasy points per game at the tight end position.
Injuries bothered Bowers last year, as he was limited to just 12 games. Across these opportunities, the two-time Pro Bowler tallied 64 receptions on 86 targets, which he converted into 680 receiving yards and seven receiving scores. He averaged 15.2 fantasy points per game and tallied 182.2 total fantasy points on the season on DraftKings scoring. Bowers trailed McBride and Tucker Kraft, who played just eight games, for the most points per game at the tight end position and ranked 56th among all players.
Heading into his third year in the NFL, expectations remain high for Bowers. He is recognized as the consensus top fantasy football tight end, and holds an average draft position around 22nd with slight variance based on league formats. There continues to be some growing buzz for Bowers leading up until each draft day, and is there a case to take a swing on the star tight end in the first round of your fantasy draft?
Brock Bowers Fantasy Football Outlook on the Raiders:
When looking into the fantasy football outlook for any position player, it is important to zoom out and look at the complete picture of the team. Plenty has changed for the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason following their 3-14 season that earned them the number one overall pick. Las Vegas utilized this top selection to draft Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza. The Indiana product has shown some encouraging flashes in preseason, but the expectation remains that Kirk Cousins will be the opening week starter.
Beyond the quarterback position, the Raiders put an end to the brief Pete Carroll era and hired Klint Kubiak as the new head coach. Kubiak most recently served as the offensive coordinator for the Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks, but this will be his first chance as a head coach. Las Vegas also added some notable additions at the wide receiver position, such as Jalen Nailor, Malik Benson, and Dareke Young.
But outside of Ashton Jeanty, Bowers will remain the clear top talent on the offensive unit. He is a foundational piece of this Raiders team and will be asked to produce as such even with all the surrounding changes.
It is also worth noting the injury issues that the first team All-Pro dealt with. Bowers suffered a PCL injury and a bone bruise in his left knee that started in Week 1. He battled through the issue for three more weeks before missing Weeks 5, 6, and 7. Bowers suited up for Weeks 9-16 but was then placed on injured reserve and underwent surgery to ensure he would be fully healthy for this year. The 23-year-old has been a full participant throughout training camp and is not expected to have any restrictions coming into the year.
The Case for Brock Bowers Being a First Round Pick:
Supply and demand is a concept that makes the world go round, and applies to fantasy football.
There are very few elite tight ends in the NFL, and Bowers certainly fits this criterion. Outside of Ashton Jeanty, Bowers will be the clear top offensive talent on this Raiders roster. You can count on a consistent share of targets and a clear effort to get the star involved in the offensive attack, including around the red zone.
The gap between Bowers and a middle-tier tight end is larger than what is likely the case for a first-round wide receiver to one you select in the middle rounds. Every season there are breakout fantasy football stars at the running back and wide receiver positions that drastically outperform their draft slot, which does not fully apply at the tight end position. When considering the best way to maximize your potential scoring as a team, it makes some sense to lock in a blue-chip player like Bowers at the tight end position and dig deeper at the other positions where there is more depth around the league.
There is certainly some risk given the new offensive system and quarterback uncertainty in Las Vegas. But there is risk with every player when it comes to fantasy football, and Bowers has a higher floor than many of the other players in this same draft range. The lack of offensive talent surrounding him boosts his importance to the offense, and tight end is oftentimes a safety blanket for quarterbacks as they find their footing. Expect this to be a clear focus, given the quarterback outlook for Las Vegas.
You cannot win your league with just your first round pick, and any way you look at it, the outlook is dependent on how you round out your team in the following selections. If your top targets get sniped off the board ahead of your pick, keep Bowers in mind in the late first round; given the positional flexibility that comes with it, it carries some appeal.
You know your league mates better than any level of mock drafts or reading can prepare you for, but getting WR1 production at the tight end position and the freedom to attack positions of greater depth as the draft continues on is a tactic that deserves more consideration than it is getting. Fortune favors the bold and Bowers’ best days of football are still ahead of him. Expect there to be more prominent conversations about Bowers as a first round target this time next year, and it is better to be a year early than a year late when it comes to this outlook.
