Team news: Buffalo Bills | Page 71

TEXANS at RAIDERS
Texans
OUT
RB Alfred Blue (calf), RB Jonathan Grimes (illness), WR Jaelen Strong (ankle)

QUESTIONABLE
WR Will Fuller (knee), RB Jay Prosch (hamstring), DT Vince Wilfork (groin)

Raiders
QUESTIONABLE
WR Amari Cooper (back), C Rodney Hudson (knee), DT Stacy McGee (ankle), RB Latavius Murray (ankle), G Kelechi Osemele (knee), CB Sean Smith (shoulder)

For the Texans Fuller (knee) is questionable and was limited in practice. HC Bill O’Brien says he feels “pretty” good about Fuller’s chances, but since the Texans play on Monday night, it’s a tough sell for fantasy owners. RB Lamar Miller was also limited but is not on the injury report.

For the Raiders Cooper (back) is questionable heading into Monday night but is expected to play through his back injury.

Raiders Inactives
Vadal Alexander OT
Connor Cook QB
Matt McCants T
Dexter McDonald CB
Stacy McGee DT
Ryan OMalley TE
Sean Smith CB

Related players: Amari Cooper

Cooper has a back issue and was limited all week at practice but will play on Sunday night in a tough matchup against the Broncos.

Derek Carr and the Raiders' starting offense hasn't exactly lit it up in the preseason.

In seven possessions, the starters have produced two field goals. Carr has completed 60 percent of his passes, but for only 82 yards.

This week's game plan against the Tennessee Titans figures to be rather vanilla with the Raiders scheduled to see them again in Week 3 of the season. Carr's game plan will remain the same.

"I joke around a lot," Carr said. "Sometimes people are going to be mad at me for certain things in the preseason."

Carr is a risk-taker by nature, but particularly in the preseason. Take his interception in last week's game against the Green Bay Packers, for example. His deep shot to Amari Cooper was a 50-50 proposition at best that Packers cornerback Josh Hawkins came down with.

Carr is ranked 14th on our list and has a pair of good receivers in Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree and an emerging tight end in Clive Walford. The downfall to Carr is the Raiders invested in defense in the offseason so they may not have to throw as much. Still, Carr is worth considering as a second QB if your league requires that, and ranks ahead of guys like Matthew Stafford, Andy Dalton and Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Oakland Raiders receiver Amari Cooper was a spectator at the beginning of practice Tuesday.

Cooper was in shorts and did not have his helmet while the team was in full pads. Cooper did, however, stretch with the team before position drills began. Cooper has three receptions for 27 yards this preseason, including a 20-yard catch in traffic at the Green Bay Packers last weekend. He did, however, come under scrutiny for not fully fighting for the ball on a long pass from Derek Carr against the Packers that was intercepted.

The ability of Raiders TE Clive Walford to attack defenses down the middle should take some of the pressure off receivers Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. Walford had 28 catches for 329 yards and three touchdowns in an injury-riddled rookie season and easily could double those numbers this season.

“He has a lot of ability, so we’re looking for him to be a big part of what we do,” Musgrave said.

A 56-658-6 season would have made Walford the #12 TE in PPR formats (#9 in standard), so those are high expectations for the second-year tight end. He played at a 2.3-26.5-0.27 pace over the final 11 games. Those are solid TE2-type numbers from a rookie tight end, and rookie tight ends are notoriously disappointing. He’s playing in an ascending offense with an up-and-coming quarterback, so there’s potential here.