Jordan Cameron Will Have Bounce-Back Week for Fantasy Owners vs. Raiders

Fantasy owners who invested in Jordan Cameron this season have been left a bit disappointed. Last year's No. 6 tight end in fantasy points has been held in check in 2014 with just 25 total fantasy points, 16 of which came in a big Week 6 performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Those who have been patient with Cameron will be rewarded in Week 8, however, as the Cleveland Browns have a favorable matchup against the Oakland Raiders.

The Raiders are giving up 7.5 fantasy points to opposing tight ends per week, 18th in the NFL. Those numbers need a bit of context, however, as not all opposing tight ends are created equally. Let's see how Oakland has fared against the better tight ends they've been matched up against:

Week	Opponent	Player	Catches	Yards	TD	Fantasy Points
3	New England Patriots	Rob Gronkowski	3	44	1	10
6	San Diego Chargers	Antonio Gates	3	27	1	8

The Raiders also gave up three catches for 50 yards and a score against the Miami Dolphins' tight ends in Week 4.

Part of the reason Oakland's stats against tight ends aren't worse is that they simply haven't played that many tight ends or teams that focus on the position. And part of the reason is that teams can simply run the ball at will on an Oakland defense that is allowing 145.3 rushing yards per game, 29th in the NFL. 

But with the Browns likely to focus on the running game first, the play-action game might open up nicely for them. That's where Cameron will shine.

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Cameron owners have likely become miffed by the player this year, of course. An early season injury almost assuredly derailed his production. Having Josh Gordon suspended to open the year hasn't helped, either, as opponents can focus on taking Cameron out of the passing attack.

And some inconsistency comes with the package. After scoring eight or more fantasy points in six of his first eight games last year, Cameron managed the same feat just once in the final eight contests. Some folks may be worried that Cameron's struggles from the second half of last season have simply carried over and this is the new normal.

The fact that Brian Hoyer is coming off of his worst start this season, against the previously winless Jacksonville Jaguars, isn't instilling any more confidence in Cameron owners.

But the optimists among us believe that Cameron is the player capable of dominating like we all saw early last year and will return to that level of play this year. Namely, this week, when the Browns will dominate on the ground and Cameron should have big areas down the middle of the field to exploit in play action. 

The fact that the two best tight ends the Raiders have faced this season fared well in those contests bodes well for Cameron. The fact that getting him more involved should be a major part of the game plan—Cameron has been targeted just 26 times this season—bodes well for him, too.

Browns coach Mike Pettine said as much, via Brian Dulik of The Chronicle-Telegram:

"

I don’t sense frustration on Jordan’s part, but you hope over time that we can get the ball to him because he is an elite player at the position. To me, if he’s open in the read and the ball gets thrown to him, he needs to catch it. But we’re not going to force the ball to try and reverse-engineer it, like if he gets more catches, we’ll be successful.

"

Translation: Yes, I know we need to get him the ball more. We're working on it, but I don't want to tip my hand here.

Look, Cameron isn't Jimmy Graham or Rob Gronkowski. He's not the type of player you absolutely want to force touches to in an offense because he'll do something special more often than not. Cameron is a very good player who generally makes the most of his opportunities, or at least he has in the past.

This week feels like a big opportunity for Cameron. If he doesn't take advantage, you can bet fantasy owners are going to reserve a permanent spot for him on their benches. 

All point totals and points-against statistics via ESPN standard-scoring leagues. Hit me up on Twitter—I'll answer your fantasy questions and make some corny jokes, too. It's more fun than trying to keep a straight face while offering Percy Harvin for Julius Thomas in a trade.