Fantasy Upside
Kenyan Drake joins a Raiders team that already had a running back getting a full workload in Josh Jacobs, so it’s a curious choice for the veteran. There’s not a lot of upside for Drake to see numbers like he did last year as the main back in Arizona – 1,092 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns – but if your expectations are “functional backup” then there’s hope in Las Vegas. The team has indicated they’d like to use Drake as a regular part of the passing game, and there might be opportunity there. Jalen Richard and Devontae Booker combined for 44 targets last year and Drake could see the bulk of those and cut into Jacobs’ 45 targets from last year. He also could see much of the 115 carries Booker and Richard had.
Fantasy Downside
Obviously, the bad outweighs the good for Drake. His usage is going to go down from last year, barring an injury to Jacobs. He’ll be a supplemental player and should be considered with players like Nyheim Hines and handcuffs like Latavious Murray, instead of the fringe first-round target he was even just a year ago.
2021 Bottom Line
Drake’s late-9th round ADP makes him worth considering as a depth option in most leagues, but he’s probably a little too rich for me if I’m thinking of him as solely a handcuff – which might be the way to see him. He does have high upside if Jacobs were to miss time, and Jacobs has dealt with injuries his first two seasons, though usually playing through them. If Drake dips down into the 11th round or later, I’m more interested, but the upside is there if you don’t expect too much.
