Consistency in Coaching is just as important as the players’ consistency. The Las Vegas Raiders made a major changes to their staff this year. Can consistency be created in the offseason to make a difference in 2026?
The 2026 postseason coaching chaos is going to generate more player inconsistency than in any previous NFL season. It will also wreak havoc on our fantasy seasons, unless…you read these articles and plan ahead. Never in the history of the NFL has there been as many Head Coach and/or Offensive Coordinator changes as there were this offseason. Some of our favorite, consistent players who were last season’s standouts may lose touches to others who were overlooked by their previous coaches. If you know who they are, they’ll be carrying your fantasy teams to championships. In this weekly series of team-by-team articles, Phil Taylor highlights how our favorite players are likely to be affected by the coaching changes.
Raiders Coaching: The big news was the Raiders landing Klint Kubiak, fresh off the Seahawks’ Super Bowl win. In past gigs, Klint Kubiak’s offenses have been known for a consistent run/pass balance. His schemes are considered QB-friendly with play action and rollouts. At this time, Kubiak is believed to be the primary play caller in 2026. His OC is Andrew Janocko, who has coached with Kubiak in Minnesota, New Orleans, and Seattle. Suffice it to say that it looks like Kubiak and Janocko will try to duplicate their success from last season by using much of the same offensive schemes.
QB’s: Oddly, shortly after the rookie mini-camp, the Raiders have already named Fernando Mendoza as their 2026 starter over Kurt Cousins. I don’t think it’s necessarily that Mendoza was so impressive in mini-camp, but more to do with the veteran Cousins squawking about wanting to be the starter and not being willing to mentor his competition for the position. Chances are, we will see both on the field this season. It bodes well for Mendoza that he will be the starter in practice because he will get more first-team snaps. On the Raiders, no individual is identified as the quarterbacks coach, but QB coaching is expected to be handled by Janocko and Assistant Head Coach Mike McCoy. Mendoza is a very mobile QB, as evidenced by his 276 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns last season. If Mendoza starts week 1, he’d be worth taking as your second QB, just to get his rushing upside on your team.
Wide Receivers: Admittedly, if you had asked me yesterday who would be the Raiders’ number 1 WR in 2026, I wouldn’t have had any idea. It’s still up in the air, but it looks like Tre Tucker, who led the team in catches and yardage last season, will start the season as the #1 with newly acquired Jalen Nailor on the other side of the field. Tucker had decent numbers last season, but should only be considered if it’s the tenth round of your draft, and you forgot to draft any wide receivers. Rookie Jack Bech is also on the roster and is dedicating his season to his brother, who passed away in the 2025 New Year’s Day New Orleans truck attack. Who knows what kind of inspiration that gives Jack? That aside, he is a genuine talent and in college consistently got better each season, culminating in a nomination for the Biletnikoff Award and MVP of the Senior Bowl.
Running Back: Ashton Jeanty was ranked only 22nd in RB consistency last season. Hopefully, a better overall offense will help him this season. Over his career, Kubiak has consistently run two RB backfields, like Walker and Charbonnet. After Jeanty, they have rookie Mike Washington Jr. from the University of Arkansas. He’s a bruiser with 4.33 speed. I’m grabbing him in the late rounds or earlier if I’ve got Jeanty. He’s a guy who is dying for a chance and believes he’s an NFL player. He used the transfer portal twice to increase his chances of getting NFL eyes on him. Jeanty has generational talent, but the O-line does not. The Raiders spent big for a free agent center and drafted one O-line player. That could mean trouble for Fernando and Jeanty.
TE: I could have just titled this paragraph “THE RAIDERS PASSING GAME”. Brock Bowers is going to do Brock Bowers things consistently, no matter what, and should get peppered by whoever is behind center. If Bowers goes down, make sure you have Michael Mayer. He was a very consistent pass catcher before Bowers showed up. In the past, Kubiak has featured tight ends in his offenses, so Brock Bowers has the potential to be the TE 1 this season. Young QBs in trouble check down to their TEs, right? This could be a strategic marriage made in heaven.
Summary: It’s impossible to fix everything on every team each year. The Raiders believe they have found their cornerstone at QB, and they have a coaching staff that knows how to coach offense better than most. They’ve got Jeanty and Bowers, but is the rest of the team good enough to support those superstars? I’ll draft Jeanty and Bowers at the right price or spot. It’s an entirely new coaching staff installing a new system, so they probably aren’t going to get off to a quick start.
