Josh Jacobs' Updated Raiders Fantasy Outlook, Draft Advice After New $12M Contract

Fantasy managers can rest easy because Josh Jacobs is officially back with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport, the 2022 All-Pro running back agreed to an upgraded one-year deal that will pay him $12 million this season that could also make him extra money next year if the Raiders attempt to use the franchise tag again.

For short-term fantasy purposes, though, this is a huge win for managers who already held their drafts and got him at a potential bargain or those who are planning strategies for an upcoming draft.

ESPN fantasy analyst Field Yates expects Jacobs will have no problem stepping in as a top-five running back after his extended holdout.

Given the previous uncertainty around Jacobs' status, he was being drafted around No. 20 overall in PPR leagues. He was the eighth running back coming off the board, just ahead of Jonathan Taylor, another player embroiled in a contract dispute with his team.

If you were previously able to get Jacobs that low, it will probably end up being a bargain. He was the No. 10 overall player in fantasy last year and has been a top-12 running back in each of the past three seasons.

The Raiders offense is something of an unknown quantity at this point. Jimmy Garoppolo is replacing Derek Carr at quarterback, but he's missed at least five games due to injuries in three of the previous five seasons.

It would stand to reason head coach Josh McDaniels would look to throw less frequently because Garoppolo has never been at his best as a high-volume passer.

But the Raiders have one of the worst defensive rosters in the NFL and could find themselves trailing in a lot of games that require Garoppolo to throw a lot.

Even if that does end up being the case, Jacobs has proven himself to be a terrific receiver out of the backfield. He's racked up 107 catches over the past two seasons combined.

Garoppolo ranked among the top 10 quarterbacks last year in terms of targeting running backs (20.5 percent of his attempts).

Jacobs has been a reliable runner with at least 1,000 yards on the ground in three of his first four seasons. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him get a similar volume of carries (340) and touches (393) as he had in 2022 to ease the pressure on Garoppolo.