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Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell (knee) probably could have gotten his team over the hump and earned them a victory in their Week 15 game against the Atlanta Falcons. Instead, he had to watch from the sidelines as backup QB Desmond Ridder failed to get much offense going at all.
The team came close to beating Atlanta, but it was too little offense, too late. O'Connell has stepped up his play this season, looking much more poised and decisive than he was in 2023. It's been impressive to see a QB drafted in the later rounds have this much success, considering the extremely low hit rate at the position.
So when will AOC be able to return to play?
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Aidan O'Connell Injury Update for Fantasy Football
If you consider that he was essentially a game-time decision for Week 15, it seems likely that he'll be able to take the field again in Week 16. He was carted off with his leg in an air cast in Week 14, but was lucky to escape with only a bone bruise as his worst injury. Those don't take a ton of time to heal.
#Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell out here testing out that knee. What do ya think? #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/0QRNztMFpk
— Vince Sapienza (@VinceSapienza) December 16, 2024
He wasn't clearly limping while warming up ahead of the game, either. He was likely still dealing with some pain, and the team could have held him out more because of the high risk of re-aggravation than an inability to be mobile. This is reasonable, as the Raiders sit at 2-11 and are in the midst of another lost season.
Aidan O'Connell Fantasy Football Outlook
He's a must-start in Superflex and other 2QB leagues, but not quite as appealing in leagues that have just one quarterback slot. He has very little rushing upside, is operating in one of the league's more middling offenses, and doesn't have an elite array of weapons.
What a throw by Aidan O'Connell 😤#LVvsKC on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/3UW5MNjm3n— NFL (@NFL) November 29, 2024
There's no denying that he's talented, but most teams will have better options at the position. However, he'll face the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have a horrendous pass defense, in Week 16. He could be poised for a nice day. It remains to be seen how the injury could affect him when he returns, though.
He's a high-end QB2 if he returns fully healthy in Week 16 due to the ease of his matchup.
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