The Las Vegas Raiders signed veteran Gardner Minshew to a two-year, $25 million contract this offseason, yet 2023 fourth-round pick Aidan O'Connell is the early favorite to handle QB1 duties in 2024, according to head coach Antonio Pierce. "Aidan's earned the right to go out there and earn the first snap," Pierce said. "What he's done this offseason -- changing his body, his work ethic, being here every day, blocking out the outside noise. He's not worried about anything. I'm excited." O'Connell replaced Jimmy Garoppolo in the middle of last season and threw for 2,219 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. The team went 5-5 during his 10 starts. Although the job sounds like it's his to lose, Minshew will also likely have the chance to battle for the starting role this offseason. The 27-year-old has thrown for 59 touchdowns and 24 interceptions during his five-year career and has looked like at least a mid-level starter at times. Whoever wins the job will get to throw to Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, and Brock Bowers this year, so either could be a solid QB2 in Superflex formats.

From RotoBaller

The Las Vegas Raiders didn't take a quarterback in this year's NFL draft, which means QBs Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell are set to compete for the starting job in training camp this summer. The Raiders were rumored to be angling to trade up in the first round of the draft for a franchise signal-caller, but instead they stayed put and took Georgia tight end Brock Bowers with their first-round selection. O'Connell held his own in 2023 when he was thrust into the starting role because of Jimmy Garoppolo's injuries and inconsistency, but Minshew should still be considered the favorite this fall given his experience. The 27-year-old Minshew would be a solid midrange QB2 in fantasy if he wins the starting job after making his first career Pro Bowl in 2023 with the Colts. He threw for a career-high 3,305 yards, 15 TDs and nine interceptions in 17 games (13 starts).

From RotoBaller

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell has earned a chance to compete for the starting job, according to head coach Antonio Pierce. As of right now, O'Connell and Gardner Minshew are expected to compete for the starting job next season. However, the Raiders may add another quarterback to the mix during the draft. Last season, O'Connell threw for over 2,000 passing yards with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 11 games. He looks like a high-end backup, but probably not someone the Raiders want to rely on all season long.

From RotoBaller

Dynasty | The Raiders have signed quarterback Gardner Minshew. Dynasty Analysis: Minshew gets $25 million over two years, with $15 million guaranteed. In other words, he got starter's money. The Raiders now look poised to enter the season with Minshew battling Aidan O'Connell for the starting job. While it's no given Minshew will win it, it's also a lot of money to pay for a backup. This will be a story to watch but any dynasty owner who dumped Minshew after his decent run in Indianapolis is likely kicking themselves at the moment.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Dynasty | Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson has been linked to Las Vegas in multiple off-season rumblings. Dynasty Analysis: The potential move would make a lot of sense. Wilson is clearly not the quarterback for Sean Payton and the Broncos are poised to move on from him. Las Vegas tried to piece things together with Jimmy Garoppolo and Aidan O'Connell but that didn't really prove to be effective, either. With Las Vegas failing to secure a high draft choice, they could be in the market for a veteran like Wilson or Kirk Cousins. The Raiders were once on Wilson's short list and while he can't be nearly as picky with any potential move, this one could make sense. At this point, it's just fun to think about. Wilson's value has plummeted to that of a streamer but he could rise again in the right spot.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell (finger) completed 20 passes on 31 attempts (65%) for 244 yards and two touchdowns in the Week 18 win against the Denver Broncos. O'Connell was injured in this contest, leaving briefly with a right-finger injury, but was able to return and finish the game. The rookie quarterback finished the season with back-to-back games over 240 passing yards and two touchdowns. With the Raiders already eliminated from playoff contention, O'Connell's season has officially ended. It remains to be seen if O'Connell will remain the team's starting quarterback heading into next season, but he finished the season with positive momentum. The rookie quarterback showed signs of development as the season progressed. If O'Connell can build on his rookie season, he has the potential to be a viable fantasy starter next season.

From RotoBaller

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell (finger) is questionable to return to Sunday's game versus the Denver Broncos. The Raiders have nothing to gain with a win on Sunday, so the rookie could be done for the remainder of Week 18. If so, he will finish with a respectable 151 yards and a touchdown off 14-for-24 passing. Nonetheless, O'Connell isn't a lock to remain under center next season. He's had a few adequate fantasy outings. However, he's also struggled more than once. At any rate, Jimmy Garoppolo is in to potentially close out the Raiders' season.

From RotoBaller

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell completed 30 of 47 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns in Week 17 against the Indianapolis Colts. Despite having one of his best performances, O'Connell was stuck with the loss against Indianapolis. O'Connell picked up a win in arguably the worst start of his career the week prior, so it appears his impact on the team's wins and losses is negligible. The Raiders face the Denver Broncos in Week 18. The Broncos defense improved as the season went on, and their secondary is a solid unit. Despite having potent weapons around him, O'Connell is not a dependable starter. Fantasy managers should leave him on the waiver wire for the season's finale.

From RotoBaller

Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell completed 30 passes on 47 attempts (64%) for 299 yards and two touchdowns in the Week 17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. The rookie quarterback finished the game with more than 200 passing yards for the second time in the last four games. The Raiders quarterback also threw for more than two touchdowns for just the second time in 10 games this season. The Raiders take on the Denver Broncos in Week 18. The Broncos have allowed the ninth-most passing yards per game to quarterbacks this season, so O'Connell has an advantageous matchup next week. Fantasy managers should continue to pass up on O'Connell as he has shown no signs of being a consistent starter for fantasy.

From RotoBaller

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell completed nine passes on 21 attempts (43%) for 62 yards in the Week 16 win against the Kansas City Chiefs. The rookie quarterback did next to nothing in this game and still came out of it with a win. O'Connell also rushed four times for -4 rushing yards and finished with a quarterback rating of 12.1. Despite the abysmal performance, the Raiders put on a defensive clinic that won the game. The Raiders scored two touchdowns on defense and ran out the clock with 145 rushing yards from Zamir White. The Raiders take on the Indianapolis Colts in Week 17. The Colts are not the easiest matchup for quarterbacks since they give up the most damage on the ground, so O'Connell should not be anywhere close to the streaming conversation in Week 17.

From RotoBaller

Dynasty | Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell completed just 9-of-21 passes for 62 yards in an upset win against the Chiefs. Dynasty Analysis: We don't have the numbers to back it up but also can't imagine many starting quarterbacks ever winning a game with their starter throwing for fewer yards in a modern day game. O'Connell obviously took a step back in this one after throwing for 248 yards and four scores just one week ago. The Raiders have some serious decisions to make in the off-season but O'Connell has at least given them something to think about, despite today's lackluster performance. He remains a hold for dynasty owners but also one to really temper expectations with.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Raiders' QB Aidan O'Connell scored 28.40 fantasy points in Thursday's Week 15 win against the Chargers. O'Connell threw for 248 yards on 20-of-34 with four touchdowns. It's the 1st time this season O'Connell scored at least 25 fantasy points in a game.

Dynasty | Raiders rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell had a big night, throwing for 248 yards and four touchdowns in week 15's drubbing of the Chargers. Dynasty Analysis: In actuality, the entire Raiders team, on both sides of the ball, had a big night scoring multiple touchdowns through the air, on the ground and even on defense. This reads far more as an inept and defeated Chargers team than it does the Raiders finally finding consistency but it certainly doesn't hurt. O'Connell is playing for a chance to be the starter in 2024 and his remaining three games will be major determinants toward that possibility. While looking passable at times, the odds would seem to be long for the fourth-round rookie to be under-center to begin the 2024 regular season. He's sparsely ranked as DLF's QB35 showing that there's little confidence that O'Connell is anything more than a backup in the NFL.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell completed 20 passes on 34 attempts (59%) for 248 yards and four touchdowns in the Week 15 win against the Los Angeles Chargers. The rookie quarterback had easily the best start of his young career against the Chargers on Thursday night. In this contest, O'Connell found Jakobi Meyers, Michael Mayer, and Tre Tucker for touchdown receptions. The Raiders quarterback will look to keep the momentum going against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 16. The Chiefs are no easy matchup, but the Raiders offense scored 63 points on Thursday night, so they appear to be rolling. With a long week to prepare and build off this performance, O'Connell and the Raiders should be confident walking into Arrowhead Stadium. Despite this massive performance, it is still difficult to recommend trusting O'Connell in fantasy lineups. Fantasy managers likely have better options at the quarterback position, and it would be wise to go that way.

From RotoBaller

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell completed 21 of 32 passes for 171 yards and an interception against the Minnesota Vikings last week. Raiders star running back Josh Jacobs left that game with a knee injury, and Davante Adams has been on the injury report all week with an illness. With two of his top options listed as questionable for Thursday night's contest against the Los Angeles Chargers, O'Connell may need to rely on Jakobi Meyers and Zamir White. Despite the juicy matchup against the porous Chargers secondary, O'Connell is not typically a streaming option, even with his best offensive weapons on the field. Fantasy managers should leave O'Connell on the waiver wire this week.

From RotoBaller

A report surfaced Wednesday morning that Las Vegas Raiders interim head coach Antonio Pierce has not committed to a starting quarterback for Thursday night's divisional clash with the Los Angeles Chargers, but rookie Aidan O'Connell is expected to remain the starter in Week 15, according to a source. The fourth-round selection has not been good at all in recent weeks and failed to lead the Raiders to any points at all in a 3-0 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14. If O'Connell puts up another dud against a porous Chargers defense this week, the Raiders will probably make the switch to either Jimmy Garoppolo or veteran Brian Hoyer to close out the last three weeks of the 2023 season. Even though he has a bounce-back matchup on tap, fantasy managers should be avoiding O'Connell in single-QB leagues.

From RotoBaller

Las Vegas Raiders interim head coach Antonio Pierce said he is not decided on who will start at quarterback on Thursday night against the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers. Rookie Aidan O'Connell could be benched for Jimmy Garoppolo or even veteran Brian Hoyer after he failed to lead the Raiders to any points in the Week 14 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. A previous report by The Athletic's Vic Tafur suggested it would be likely the Raiders would bench O'Connell if he played poorly this week, but it turns out O'Connell may not even get a chance to play on Thursday at all. O'Connell has been pretty bad the last few weeks and only threw for 171 yards and an interception against Minnesota. The matchup is nice against LA, but whoever is starting under center for the Raiders on Thursday will be no more than a low-end QB2 option for fantasy managers in superflex leagues.

From RotoBaller

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell completed 21 passes on 32 attempts (66%) for 169 yards and an interception in the Week 14 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The rookie quarterback struggled throughout this game, scoring zero points. O'Connell struggled against the Vikings defense, throwing for less than 200 yards for the first time since Week 10. The Raiders take on the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15. O'Connell will likely have a better performance against the porous Chargers secondary. Despite the advantageous matchup, fantasy managers should continue to avoid the Raiders rookie quarterback in Week 15.

From RotoBaller

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell completed 23 of 33 passes for 248 yards and a touchdown. O'Connell. With the Vikings star wide receiver Justin Jefferson returning, O'Connell may be forced to throw upwards of 35 pass attempts to stay in the game. The Vikings defense is middle of the pack in yards and touchdowns given up to quarterbacks, so O'Connell may bounce back following the team's bye week. With strong weapons like Davante Adams, Josh Jacobs, and Jakobi Meyers surrounding him, the Raiders quarterback is in a position to succeed most weeks. O'Connell could be thrust into a robust workload this week, but he should not be considered a starter for fantasy teams yet.

From RotoBaller

Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell completed 23 passes on 33 attempts (70%) for 248 yards and a touchdown in the Week 12 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The rookie quarterback started the game hot, as the Raiders pulled out to an early lead, but he cooled off as the game went on. O'Connell struggled against the Chiefs defense in the second half, as the Raiders scored three points in the third quarter and were held scoreless in the fourth. The Raiders have a Week 13 bye week but take on the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14. O'Connell may perform better with an extra week of preparation, but the rookie quarterback is not worth rostering on fantasy teams.

From RotoBaller