Getty Oakland Raiders QB Derek Carr
There may be no single quarterback in the NFL more tough to gauge in fantasy football than Oakland Raiders signal-caller Derek Carr. There’s been so much drama surrounding his standing with Jon Gruden and a potential trade, that the situation was one big headache.
But we’re now past the trade deadline and Carr is locked in as the Raiders’ quarterback and is coming off an impressive game against the Indianapolis Colts. The 27-year-old threw for 244 yards and three touchdowns while running for another, although his team still lost 42-28. It was an impressive fantasy day, and owners used Carr as a bye-week filler walked away from this game more than satisfied.
Now, Carr draws the San Francisco 49ers in a primetime game on Thursday Night Football in Week 9. If he can parlay the success from last week into this game, he could be a legitimate starting option for fantasy football owners. Let’s take a deeper dive into the start-sit debate with Carr this week.
Should You Start or Sit Derek Carr?
Even with a large number of teams on bye this week (six), it likely leaves just Andrew Luck, Andy Dalton and Carson Wentz as the names being replaced. But regardless of whether you need a bye-week filler or simply rotate quarterbacks on a weekly basis, Carr is in play based on his matchup.
The 49ers have struggled in a big way against opposing quarterbacks, allowing 2,204 yards and 18 touchdowns with just two interceptions this season. Although I’m never a fan of targeting defenses at home in primetime games, Carr airs it out often and has been incredibly accurate even considering his eight interceptions.
On the season, the Raiders quarterback has completed 72 percent of his passes with 10 touchdowns and in this matchup, I can see him posting a multi-touchdown performance. If you need a starter in 12-team leagues, I’d be fine rolling Carr out and believe he’s squarely in play in 14-team leagues or above as well.
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