After four seasons with the Washington Redskins, free agent Roy Helu made his way across the country to the Oakland Raiders. While Helu spent most of his time in Washington in a secondary role behind Alfred Morris, he carved out a niche as a top receiver out of the backfield. In 14 games last year, Helu caught 42 passes for 477 yards and two touchdowns. With only largely unproven Latavius Murray ahead of him on the depth chart, will Helu step out of the shadows and into the spotlight?
Fantasy Upside
Helu has always had the athleticism to be more than a passing game specialist. Before Morris came to Washington in 2012, Helu had a three-game stretch in 2011 where he carried the ball over 20 times. In all three of those games, he rushed for at least 100 yards and added two touchdowns along the way. He also had a 55-yard reception last year. If Murray proves he cannot handle the rigors of being a lead back or gets hurt, Helu would be in line for a large workload. As it is, the Raiders will probably see a lot of deficits this year, which means Roy would be on the field quite a bit regardless.
Fantasy Downside
Provided Murray is the real deal (and he has largely looked good in the preseason), Helu would essentially be stuck in the same role he was in Washington. And FB Marcel Reece is also a capable receiver. Quarterback Derek Carr played conservatively as a rookie and threw plenty of short passes, but Carr is expected to be more aggressive in his second season, especially with Amari Cooper giving him a strong target down the field.
Bottom Line
Helu is a good handcuff for Murray, as he is a proven commodity capable of putting up some points, especially in PPR formats. He does not have much value on his own, but if you are looking for someone in the late rounds of the draft as an occasional flex starter or bye week replacement, you can do worse than Helu.
