The Oakland Raiders have high expectations for Amari Cooper this season and he is expected to start with Latavius Murray, Michael Crabtree and Mychal Rivera on offense for Derek Carr and those players could be fantasy football sleepers and starters for owners in 2015.
The Raiders just cut Trent Richardson loose and while there wasn't much doubt about Murray being the starter, that is a guarantee now. According to Pro Football Talk, Richardson was cut loose after being signed this offseason and now the running backs on the main roster include Murray, Roy Helu, Taiwan Jones and Michael Dyer. Murray has dealt with injuries in the past, but he is expected to be the starter for Carr and could have a strong season in 2015.
The main player to watch for the Raiders this season and especially in fantasy is Amari Cooper. Cooper has been getting rave reviews since he was picked in the draft at fourth overall and he has continued to be impressive through the summer. Carr and the Raiders coaching staff have praised Cooper and his work ethic and he could be a fantasy breakout star this season. Cooper isn't really a sleeper since he was a top pick and has high expectations, but Raiders WRs can be hit or miss and it finally looks like they have a hit player.
Cooper looked good against the Arizona Cardinals and made some nice plays on All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson. The Raiders are expecting Cooper to have an Odell Beckham-like impact on the offense and that could be huge for Carr in year two after having a solid rookie season. Carr started all 16 games and now he has a true number one receiver in Cooper. Cooper comes in after making 124 catches for 1727 yards and 16 touchdowns with Alabama and all scouts see him as a star.
Michael Crabtree likely will be the other starting receiver and he has the chance to bounce back after some disappointment across the bay in San Francisco. Having Cooper will take pressure off of Crabtree and he could put up some solid numbers. The team has been impressed with Mychal Rivera this summer and he could be a breakout candidate for the Raiders. The team also drafted Clive Walford and as a rookie he could contribute at tight end.
Carr has established himself as an up and coming QB after putting up 21 touchdowns and 12 picks his rookie season and while there is room for improvement, there's hope in Oakland that he is the franchise quarterback for the future. Carr had 3270 yards last season and adding weapons to the offense should only help him get better. Latavius Murray is starting and that was not in question all offseason. Trent Richardson is gone and that means Roy Helu and Michael Dyer could get some work behind Murray, but it's Murray's job as the number one back.
Check here for more on the Oakland Raiders heading into the season.
