The Oakland Raiders aren't an obvious choice to think of when looking for fantasy sleepers. Lacking a true No. 1 receiver and set to be quarterbacked by Matt Schaub or some youngster, they're not likely to have a strong passing game.
But the lack of a clear top target in the offense could produce a sleeper or two. If James Jones isn't the top wideout, Denarius Moore, Rod Streater or Andre Holmes just might be. And at tight end, the main guy could be last year's top receiver, Mychal Rivera, or a guy who didn't even play, David Ausberry.
This article at Raiders.com puts forth the case for Ausberry, who spent last season on IR with a shoulder injury. A converted wide receiver, he's more pass catcher than blocker, which is what fantasy coaches are looking for out of the position.
"He's a guy that I think can be a real receiving threat for us," says Dennis Allen. Last year, Rivera caught 38 balls for 407 yards and 4 TDs. Not exactly fantasy numbers to get excited about.
But if Ausberry wins the job and the passing game improves a little (it could hardly be worse; 227 yards a game a year ago, which ranked 24th), maybe he improves on that to give him some appeal in deeper leagues.
--Andy Richardson