MalikBenson

News: 6 days agoBenson caught one of five targets for 18 yards in Thursday's 22-20 preseason win over the Texans.

Spin: Benson's stock had been on the rise thanks to a strong training camp in which he earned opportunities with the first-team offense, but the 2026 sixth-round pick produced a dud in Vegas' second preseason game. He struggled to get on the same page with fellow rookie Fernando Mendoza, and one of their incompletions was an ugly Benson drop on third down in the second quarter, which resulted in the Raiders punting rather than moving the chains. Benson still has an opportunity to carve out a substantial role in Vegas' wide receiver room, and he'll look to bounce back in next Thursday's preseason finale against the 49ers.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Benson was selected by the Raiders in the sixth round of April's draft. An accomplished sprinter, the speedy Benson has big play written all over him, though he's a slightly older prospect and his collegiate production was limited by a lot of changes in scenery (two years of community college followed by 2023 at Alabama, 2024 at Florida State and 2025 at Oregon). Benson never cleared a 15% target share in a single season, peaking with a 43-719-6 receiving line in 2025. Benson is a longshot as a sixth rounder, but the Raiders' shaky wide receiver depth chart presents him with an opportunity to quickly earn a role. Still, he's no more than a deep sleeper.