Raiders HC Antonio Pierce named QB Aidan O'Connell the starter for this weekend's game vs. the Steelers. O'Connell has already seen action in place of QB Gardner Minshew twice this season, completing 19 of 32 passes (59%) for 176 yards (5.5 YPA), one TD, and one INT. He made 10 starts as a rookie last year, finishing with a 62% completion rate and 6.5 yards per attempt. O'Connell did have his three best games of the season over the final four weeks, ranking 14th among 39 qualifying QBs in Pro Football Focus passing grade during that stretch.
O'Connell brings more unknown than Minshew, which theoretically gives him more upside -- but also more downside. Realistically, he's unlikely to be more than a minor upgrade for this Raiders passing game.
O'Connell gets a tough opening draw against the Steelers, who rank 13th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to QBs. He sits dead last in our Week 6 QB Rankings.
For now, O'Connell doesn't move the needle for WR Jakobi Meyers, WR Tre Tucker, or TE Brock Bowers.
Premium Content
Neal captured Kansas’ RB1 role as a 2021 freshman and never looked back. Can he rise just as quickly to the top of an NFL depth chart?
Read More »
What are potential landing spots for some late-round sleeper RBs and WRs? Are there QBs and TEs who could get surprising draft capital? Dive into a full seven-round mock draft by Shane Hallam.
Read More »
Redraft Leagues, Unlimited
Unlimited Live-Draft Sync
Draft War RoomMock Draft TrainerFree Agent FinderSit-Start Team GuideTrade Navigator
Redraft, Dynasty, Auction & Best Ball
Dynasty War RoomBest Ball War RoomAuction ToolsKeeper ToolsDynasty Trade CalculatorDFS LineupOptimizer
Add Personalized Advice
Search
