NFL Tickets
The Oakland Raiders will enter the 2012 season with a new head coach in Dennis Allen and a new general manager in Reggie McKenzie, but they still have some good options for fantasy football owners with running back Darren McFadden and quarterback Carson Palmer leading the way in that regard.
That said, fantasy owners should not forget about the team’s top two wide receivers, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Denarius Moore, who both showed flashes of potential in 2011 and could improve further with Palmer under center for a full season in 2012. Jacoby Ford is also in the mix in the Raiders’ receiving corp, but for the purpose of a “Fantasy Face-Off” piece let’s focus on Heyward-Bey and Moore at this point.
Darrius Heyward-Bey
Heyward-Bey disappointed during his first two NFL seasons after being the first wide receiver drafted in 2009 (7th overall), with just 35 total catches and two touchdowns, but 2011 was his best season as he posted 64 receptions for 975 yards and four touchdowns. He was particularly strong over the final four games of the season, with 26 receptions for 433 yards (16.7 yards per catch) and two touchdowns to surely help bolster the playoff run of many fantasy owners. He also had a strong four game stretch in October, with 22 catches for 385 yards (17.5 yards per catch) and one touchdown over that time frame. Overall Heyward-Bey had eight games with at least 70 receiving yards and at least five receptions in six of those eight contests.
The Raiders’ offensive scheme may become more conservative under new offensive coordinator Greg Knapp, who comes to Oakland from the Houston Texans and will likely employ a similar run-based system. That said, the overall strengths of the Oakland passing game lend itself to downfield passing, and Heyward-Bey’s rapport with Palmer down the stretch last season should not be overlooked.
Denarius Moore
Moore took a strong preseason showing in 2011 right into a prominent role during his rookie season, as he finished with 618 yards on 33 receptions (18.7 yards per catch) and five touchdowns. He missed three games in late November and early December with foot and ankle issues and also had five games with one or zero catches as consistency was clearly an issue. Having had a full offseason to work with Palmer will benefit all the Raiders’ receivers, and Moore may benefit more than most since he missed three of Palmer’s starts in 2011.
A different offensive scheme may limit Moore’s ability to make an impact as a deep threat, but he still looks certain to have a prominent role in the Raiders’ passing game. He is also expected to remain the team’s primary punt returner, which provides him with some extra opportunities as well as a nice bonus for fantasy owners in leagues that count return yardage.
Final Analysis
Fantasy owners should not draft any of the Raiders’ wide receivers expecting WR1-type production on a weekly basis, but both Heyward-Bey and Moore are worth consideration as a low-end WR2 or high-end WR3 with solid upside. Owners in PPR leagues or touchdown-heavy formats should bump each guy down their draft board some behind similarly ranked players, as huge catch and touchdown totals look unlikely without significant changes in their usage from last season.
All things considered, I would choose Heyward-Bey over Moore since his body of work with Palmer under center last season was pretty impressive and his size (6’2″) lends itself to becoming an effective red zone threat if he can get more chances in that area of the field. It is possible Heyward-Bey could be used similarly to Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson in the offensive scheme Knapp brings with him from Houston, which clearly would create tons of upside for fantasy owners.
Share 
