Las Vegas

Raiders

He practiced in full all three days. Klint Kubiak was evasive when asked if he would be activated, but players that practice in full three days in a row while trying to come off injured reserve rarely aren’t activated. Bech will be restored to the roster on Saturday if he’s going to play. He doesn’t need to be proactively rostered outside of the deepest leagues.

That’s back-to-back full practices for Bech after the Raiders opened up the 21-day window for the wideout. He’s worth monitoring in redraft leagues in part because the options ahead of him aren’t exactly elite, but fantasy managers don’t need to consider a stash just yet.

Tennessee waived Timmy Horne in a corresponding move. Laulu appeared in five games for the Raiders this year and recorded .5 sacks plus three QB hits. He made 15 starts for the Raiders last year and appeared in all 17 games. Laulu will be a depth option for the Titans.

It was his last possible day to be reinstated in his 21-day window. The fact that Klint Kubiak spent much of Thornton’s 21-day window talking about how he had to go show us something makes us think Thornton will probably just be a depth piece for the time being. The Raiders waived Jonah Laulu to make room for Thornton.

His 21-day practice window will open this week. Bech could, in theory, start eating into Jalen Nailor and Tre Tucker’s snap counts. The Raiders are probably pretty happy with how Tucker has played, though, and Nailor is more of a fit as an outside receiver than Bech is. The 2025 second-rounder is worth monitoring but not exactly someone you should be stashing ahead of his return.

Rather than let any speculation linger, Kubiak was quick to shut down any idea of a switch at quarterback heading into Week 8’s game against the Jets. Kubiak said, “There is no controversy” at quarterback at this time, while also adding that “Fernando [Mendoza] is going to play football” at some point this season. Kubiak said the team does not have a timeline for when Mendoza could eventually make a start, and said Cousins continues to play well despite the team’s recent struggles. Cousins will be firmly on the streaming radar this week against a Jets team that just allowed 28 points to the Dolphins.

Kubiak was asked about the possibility of switching from Kirk Cousins to rookie No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, and said the team is considering “everything” while also making it sound like their struggles were more of a team issue. Cousins struggled in the early part of Sunday’s loss to the Rams, but managed some late touchdowns in garbage time to save his stat line. If the Raiders are considering a switch, it’s possible we’ll learn their decision by Wednesday, when they begin preparing for their Week 8 game against the Jets.

Nailor ran a route on 42 of the team’s 49 drop backs but wasn’t all that involved. Tre Tucker remains the Raiders’ top wideout, leaving Nailor without much in the way of air yards or targets. He should remain on waiver wires ahead of the Raiders’ Week 8 game against the Jets.

Mayer benefited from a pass-heavy second half for the Raiders as they once again faced a big deficit. He ran a pass route on 38 of the Raiders’ 49 drop backs. With four games of at least five targets, Mayer profiles as a desperation play in tight end premium games and a 12-team option if Brock Bowers misses time.

Cousins, as per usual, did next to nothing before the Raiders got down by multiple scores in the second half. He ends with a pretty solid fantasy line thanks to a couple long connections with fellow garbage time merchant Tre Tucker, who led the Raiders with 108 yards and a score. Cousins’ other score went to the Raiders’ backfield garbage time merchant Ashton Jeanty. Cousins now has multiple touchdown throws in six of his seven games in 2026. The Fernando Mendoza clock is nearing midnight as the uncompetitive Raiders flounder and Cousins looks more washed by the week. If he still has the starting job by Week 8, Cousins will be a decent streaming option against the Jets.