spring cleanup: necessary to rake?

This is the first time I'm doing it myself. I had the lawn blown, but do I need to rake too? to get the dead grass out?

We don't rake or blow.  We just pick up the sticks.  Lawn looks pretty good.

raking gets the dead grass out of the lawn and turns up planting areas. It's a good idea. 

Thatch.  

now, that's a lot of work.

I never use a leaf blower and rake some leaves in the fall. My lawn does not have an issue with thatching. We don't get rid of leaves that are still around in the Spring. They are a great natural mulch in beds, help migrating birds and provide nesting material for animals. I take some and put them in my compost bin, mulch ones that are in my lawn when I mow, and leave some under hedges. I'm not personally aiming for a green carpet lawn. I have purple violets in my lawn now - they are a food source for fritillary butterfly caterpillars, I love seeing all the birds that visit, and I like my lawn to be chemical free for my kids.  https://www.usatoday.com/story...

It helps my lawn when I rake.