Fantasy Upside
When the head coach comes out with quotes saying that a player was "the most dynamic tight end in college football in a long time" you have to take notice. Brock Bowers was also described as a "hybrid receiver" by the general manager. If a rapport develops with either Gardner Minshew or Aidan O'Connell, we could be looking at a big touchdown total. Our current projections for Bowers have him only about 20 points away from the TE5, so a few trips to the touchdown could pay huge dividends.
Fantasy Downside
There are plenty of downside cases for Bowers, unfortunately. The main case would be that there's just simply too much competition for touches. With an emphasis on the run with Zamir White and target competition from Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, and the incumbent Michael Mayer, there could be very little meat left on the Raiders' bone.
2024 Bottom Line
The nature of the tight end position is such that we're usually relying on touchdowns to make a solid week once you get past the elite tier. Bowers is being drafted right at his current projection but the decision comes down to whether or not you believe in the potential of the offense. In redraft, he's fine if you're punting the position a bit, but you may need to play the matchups at least to start the season.
