Oakland Raiders vs. Green Bay Packers Matchup Preview 10/20/2019: TV Schedule, Injury Report, Analysis, and Daily Fantasy

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The Oakland Raiders (3-2) head to Green Bay (5-1) as they take on Aaron Rodgers and the red-hot Packers at Lambeau Field. Both of these teams come into week 7 with a two-game win streak on the line. The Packers come into this game as division leaders in the competitive NFC North due to the play of their incredible secondary. Jaire Alexander is having a sensational year as the Packers’ no. 1 cornerback, and rookie safety, Darnell Savage has had a great start to the 2019 season. On the other side of the field, Oakland has been surprisingly effective and efficient on offense. Despite the loss of mercurial star receiver, Antonio Brown, the Raiders are half a game behind the Kansas City Chiefs for first place in the AFC West. However, the Raiders are going to need to see more production from their defense, especially their front seven, if they are going to stop Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay offense. For odds movement and full matchup history, visit the Oakland Raiders vs Green Bay Packers matchup page.

TV Schedule

Date: Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Location: Lambeau Field – Green Bay, WI
Coverage: CBS

Injury Report (CBS)

Green Bay Packers: Davante Adams (Q), Geronimo Allison (Q), Curtis Bolton (IR), Tony Brown (Q), Ibraheim Campbell (IR), Raven Greene, Malcolm Johnson (IR), Greg Roberts (IR), Darnell Savage (Q), Equanimeous St. Brown (IR), Jason Spriggs (IR), Jace Sternberger (IR) Lane Taylor (IR), Robert Tonyan (Q)
Oakland Raiders: Johnathan Abram (IR), Maxx Crosby (Q), Isaiah Crowell (IR), Jordan Devey, (IR), M. Dorleant (IR) Clelin Ferrell (Q), Dwayne Harris (Q), Cameron Hunt (IR), Gabe Jackson (Q), Isaiah Johnson (IR), Arden Key (O), Marquel Lee (IR), Nathan Peterman (IR), Tyrell Williams (Q)

Green Bay Packers Analysis

For the first time in a while, the Green Bay Packers defense is carrying the team. The packers’ revamped front seven and secondary have been on a terror, leading the packers to rank in the top 10 for both sacks and interceptions. LB Preston Smith has been successful at getting after the QB, accumulating 7 sacks this year, which ranks 3rd in the NFL [2]. Likewise, Za’Darius Smith has also been a nightmare for opposing offenses, with six sacks so far. In the back end of the defense, cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Tramon Williams have been outstanding in coverage. Alexander has forced 11 incompletions, which is the most in the NFL. Williams has been a big boost for the Packers, leading them to allow the 4th-fewest receptions from the slot since converting back to a slot CB [7].

On the offensive side of the ball, the Packers have been less impactful. Currently, the Packers only rank 17th in terms of yards/game, 13th in terms of passing yards/game 14th in points/game, and 17th in terms of rushing yards a game [5]. Aaron Rodgers currently ranks 15th in terms of passing yards/game and is behind quarterbacks such as Eli Manning, Jameis Winston, and Andy Dalton [5]. When it comes to the running game, Aaron Jones has had an inconsistent year. While Jones excelled for 116 rushing yards against the Vikings, and 107 yards against the Cowboys, he has only managed to muster up 126 rushing yards against the four other teams he’s played in 2019 [1]. The main issue for the Packers is that the offense looks lackluster since Matt LaFleur arrived. For instance, Rodgers’ sack rate has increased from 7.6 percent in 2018 to 9.9 percent in 2019 [6]. While some of this can be attributed to David Bakhtiari’s uncharacteristic regression this season, LaFleur’s scheme is often criticized for leaving the QB open to increased pressure. The good news for the Packers is that Oakland’s front seven has been abysmal this year, so the offensive line shouldn’t struggle too much to protect Rodgers.

Green Bay Packers Depth Chart

QB: Aaron Rodgers
RB1: Aaron Jones
RB2: Jamaal Williams
WR1: Davante Adams
WR2: Marquez Valdes-Scantling
WR3: Geronimo Allison
TE: Jimmy Graham

Oakland Raiders Analysis

The Oakland Raiders have been the biggest surprise of 2019. With the swift arrival and departure of Antonio Brown, the Raiders were left with little talent amongst their receiving options. However, the Raiders have been able to make the most of their receiving corps headlined by WR Tyrell Williams, TE Darren Waller, and rookie WR Hunter Renfrow. It hasn’t been a blazing passing attack, like the 2018 Rams, but QB Derek Carr has efficient when it comes to limiting interceptions and completing over 73% of his passes [5]. Darren Waller has been a fantastic shock to this offense, averaging nearly 10 yards/reception and ranking 5th amongst TEs with 71.8 yards/game [4]. The offensive line has also done an excellent job when it comes to pass protection, allowing only eight sacks on Carr, which ranks 6th best among QBs with at least 100 attempts. The offensive line has also excelled at run blocking for Josh Jacobs, enabling him to rank 6th in the NFL in terms of rushing yards/game [3]. Jacobs has also been one of the best backs in the NFL when it comes to breaking tackles ranking in the top ten in terms of yards after contact and yards after contact/carry [3].

While the Raiders have seen improvement on the offensive side, their defense is still amongst the worst in the league. For instance, the Raiders’ subpar pass rush has had difficulty getting after the QB. As a result, the Raiders only have nine sacks, which ranks 28th in the NFL [2]. In addition, the Raiders’ secondary has had trouble covering opposing receiving corps, 263.6 passing yards/game, which ranks 22nd in the NFL [2]. With hobbled Clelin Ferrell, who isn’t even certain to play against the Packers, the Raiders are going to have their hands full, trying to rush Rodgers and limiting Green Bay’s WRs. If the Raiders have any chance of winning this game, they are going to need a spark from within their front seven. Plus, they need to control the time of possession by running the ball against Green Bay.

Oakland Raiders Depth Chart

QB: Derek Carr
RB1: Josh Jacobs
RB2: Jalen Richard
WR1: Tyrell Williams*
WR2: Zay Jones
WR3: Hunter Renfrow
TE: Darren Waller

Daily Fantasy

Look for Aaron Jones to have a tough time against the Oakland Raiders. Even though the Raiders’ front seven hasn’t been daunting this season, their defense has only allowed one 100-yard rusher in 2019 [1]. Moreover, Aaron Jones has had a rollercoaster season so far, and his inability to catch the ball and fumbles has led Jamal Williams to see a spike in usage. He should be avoided in fantasy and is a low-end RB2/flex option in this game. Aaron Rodgers, on the other hand, looks like a decent QB2 option for fantasy. His receiving corps has been depleted with injuries to begin the season, but he should be able to put up quality numbers against a weak Raiders secondary.

With Tyrell Williams questionable, Darren Waller looks to be the only member of the Raiders receiving corps worth starting. He is on pace for 118 catches and will be one of the only, if not the only, Raider who will be able to get separation from Packers DBs and LBs [1]. Even though the Packers defense has done a phenomenal job at limiting the production of opposing tight ends, Waller has asserted himself as Derek Carr’s favorite target. Look for Waller to be a low-end TE1/high-end TE2. Due to his inability to find the endzone, Josh Jacobs hasn’t been the best running back option in fantasy. While Jacobs has been able to garner 75+ rushing yards in 4 out of 5 games this year, he hasn’t been that productive in the receiving game. However, Jacobs looks on pace for a monster game against the Packers, who have had difficulty stopping the run. The Packers are giving up approximately 35 points/game to opposing running backs [1]. Consequently, Jacobs looks to be a low-end RB1 with a tremendous upside.

References:

[1]“Fantasy Football Add and Research Players.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 16 Oct. 2019, https://fantasy.espn.com/football/players/add?leagueId=82967856.

[2] “Statistics.” National Football League Stats – by Team Category | NFL.com, http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?archive=true&conference=null&role=OPP&offensiveStatisticCategory=null&defensiveStatisticCategory=SACKS&season=2018&seasonType=REG&tabSeq=2&qualified=false&Submit=Go.

[3]“2019 NFL Rushing Advanced.” Pro-Football-Reference, 16 Oct. 2019, https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2019/rushing_advanced.htm.

[4] “Statistics.” National Football League Stats – by Player Position | NFL.com, http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?archive=false&conference=null&statisticPositionCategory=TIGHT_END&season=2019&seasonType=REG&experience=&tabSeq=1&qualified=false&Submit=Go.

[5] “2019 NFL Player Passing Stats.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, https://www.espn.com/nfl/stats/player/_/table/passing/sort/passingYards/dir/desc.

[6]

D’Andrea, Christina. “Matt LaFleur’s Packers Offense Sure Looks a Lot like Mike McCarthy’s.” Google, Google, 19 Sept. 2019, www.google.com/amp/s/www.sbnation.com/platform/amp/nfl/2019/9/19/20871984/matt-lafleur-packers-offense-aaron-rodgers-mike-mccarthy

[7]

Linsey, Ben. “PFF Rankings: Top-25 Cornerbacks through Week 5: NFL News, Rankings and Statistics.” PFF, PFF, 10 Oct. 2019, www.pff.com/news/nfl-pff-cornerback-rankings-nfl-week-5-2019