Fantasy Football: ESPN says Josh Jacobs has RB1 upside in 2019

How high will Josh Jacobs (Raiders) finish among running backs in fantasy football in 2019?

The Oakland Raiders have reinvented their offensive skill players in one offseason. The only holdover is at quarterback, where Derek Carr will have a new cast of characters to throw and hand the ball to.

The biggest offseason acquisition was at wide receiver, where Antonio Brown was traded to the Raiders for pennies on the dollar. His presence, along with free-agent signee Tyrell Willims, will give Carr one of the best one-two punches at wideout that he’s had in his tenure with the Raiders.

The biggest upgrade may have taken place in the backfield, however.

Rookie first-round pick Josh Jacobs is expected to not only start for Oakland, but to become the offense’s bellcow. He’ll be just as active as a pass-catcher as he will be as a runner, and as a result, his fantasy football projection is through the roof.

In fact, ESPN is making the bold prediction that Jacobs will be an RB1 this season.

In the world of fantasy football, an RB1 ranking means Jacobs will qualify as a top-12 scorer at his position, generally speaking. The next tier — RB2 — usually runs from the No. 13 to No. 24 scorers, and so on.

ESPN did note that Jacobs’ ceiling as an RB1 was for “deeper leagues,” which may mean 14 or even 16 team leagues. In that case, Jacobs would really qualify as a high-end RB2 for the traditional 12-team leagues.

Jacobs’ upside in 2019 could result in a season of 1,000 rushing yards and 70+ catches, which would easily qualify for top-12 standing at his position. In fact, a season with numbers like that would push him into the elite category for his position.