Tre Tucker goes for 4/44 on eight-target day

Tucker had a bigger impact in real life than he did in fantasy. On the plus side, he helped set up a field goal and a touchdown, first by finding the soft spot in the Saints’ zone coverage in the two-minute drill. Later, his 15-yard gain on a deep crossing route helped set up the Raiders. He also committed a holding penalty, which erased a short gain for RB Ashton Jeanty. Tucker is a WR4/FLEX against the Chiefs next week.

Kirk Cousins got the deep ball going in this game after settling for mostly check-downs in Week 1. Tucker caught two passes of 40+ yards, the first of which was a second-quarter touchdown. He also tied Ashton Jeanty with a team-high seven targets, so it wasn’t just a one-off deep shot for the veteran wideout. Brock Bowers is expected to return next week, meaning Tucker’s target share should take a hit the next time we see him. Even if he is relegated to field-stretching duties in Week 3, Tucker will remain a high-ceiling FLEX bet versus the Saints.

Despite receiving clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver treatment late in the preseason, Tucker was not the clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver in Week 1. He nabbed a nice 21-yard gain and had another downfield pass broken up by DPI, but Raiders coach Klint Kubiak didn’t have a focal target here. Treat Tucker as a boom-bust FLEX against the Chargers next week, in what should be a back-and-forth game environment.

He punctuated his point by saying only, “still looking.” Kubiak’s ambiguous phrasing could suggest that the Raiders are seeking a wide receiver via trade, but it can also be read simply as an indictment of players like Jalen Nailor, Jack Bech and Malik Benson. None of the three turned in a great game last night, while Tre Tucker was given the night off. Tucker makes for a boom-bust FLEX option in an underwhelming position group.

Both Nailor and WR Jack Bech played tonight while WR Tre Tucker took the night off. Bech failed to earn a target and played into the fifth drive. Nailor called it a night after the third drive. The Raiders’ top-three wide receivers appear to be Tucker, Nailor and Bech, in that order. Tucker might warrant matchup-based FLEX treatment in 12-team leagues.

The depth chart placement is a tad curious because it suggests Benson ran ahead of either WR Tre Tucker or WR Jack Bech. Benson has been rotating in with the first-team offense for more than a week, so this isn’t groundbreaking news, but one wonders if he can use the opportunity to make a compelling case for a starting role in three-wide receiver sets.

The Raiders are reportedly rotating five different wide receivers through team drills, including Tre Tucker, Jack Bech, Jalen Nailor and Dont’e Thornton. Tucker is the most proven player of the bunch and should be expected to secure a starting role. Things are fluid beyond that. McFadden named Benson, a sixth-round rookie, his “biggest surprise” of spring practices. He reportedly fostered a strong connection with QB Fernando Mendoza. Given his draft capital, Benson is likely a long shot to earn a starting role, but he also possesses intriguing upside as a field stretcher. Don’t bank on a breakout, but keeping an eye on him this summer is worthwhile.

Per Warren, “the Raiders have a lot more confidence in their wide receiver group than those on the outside looking in,” and that should give Jalen Nailor and Tre Tucker a little bit more juice as late-round best ball picks. We’re having a really hard time forecasting where Diggs will land after his respectable 85/1,013/4 receiving line last year off a torn ACL. The Commanders seem to be waiting on Brandon Aiyuk, and only the Ravens and Chiefs have really been mentioned of late as a reasonable landing spot for the veteran wideout.

Tucker, 25, is now the longest-tenured player in the Raiders’ wide receiver corps. Since being drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft’s third round, Tucker has had four head coaches, seven offensive coordinators, three wide receiver coaches and seven different starting quarterbacks. He has never cleared 700 yards in a single season, but his offensive environment has been a factor. Per Kubiak, Raiders receivers will line up all over the formation, as the X, Z and slot. Last year, Tucker ran 83.2 percent of his routes from the perimeter. Adding interior usage will benefit him. Although TE Brock Bowers will operate as the clear-cut No. 1 pass catcher, Tucker could warrant FLEX treatment if he can secure the No. 2 pass-catcher role/No. 1 wide receiver role this summer.

Smart move. The Raiders are widely expected to take Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick and currently field an extremely thin wide receiver corps. The Raiders’ second draft pick is No. 36 overall, which could be used to draft a No. 1 wide receiver. Given Bonsignore’s “deep” comment, we expect them to take multiple players at the position. The team recently hosted Texas A&M WR KC Concepcion, who is currently viewed as a candidate to be drafted late in the first round or early in the second. Tre Tucker, 25, is the Raiders’ most proven wide receiver, though he caught just 57-of-90 targets for 696 yards and five touchdowns last year. Other penciled-in starters include WR Jack Bech, WR Dont’e Thornton and WR Jalen Nailor. All three failed to earn 50 or more targets last year.