Week 17 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Derek Carr has been on a little bit of a streak lately though the Saints have lost two straight to put their playoff hopes in serious peril. Carr has back-to-back games with three passing touchdowns. On the flip side, when Carr faced the Buccaneers in Week 4, he finished with just 127 passing yards. He also has a 119-yard performance just in the last month. There is a lot of variance here with Carr. He's squarely in the QB2 grouping but certainly would be understandable if you feel you have much better options.
Week 16 at Los Angeles Rams
Derek Carr had a pretty good day even with Chris Olave being out. Carr went 23 of 28 for 218 yards and three touchdowns in a much-needed win over the Giants. Olave may be a game-time decision again with the Saints traveling on a short week and the Rams have been playing better on defense. It's a tricky spot with Carr playing on Thursday. There are arguably much better options for the weekend and Carr may not have his best option on the outside. This deep in the fantasy playoffs, you may be walking on thin ice if you choose to start Carr in L.A.
Update: Carr will have Chris Olave after all, giving him a little boost, but still among the middle of the QB2 tier.
Week 13 vs. Detroit Lions
Derek Carr reached 300 yards last week against the Falcons as he returned from a concussion and a shoulder injury. However, he did go without a touchdown pass as he watched his wide receivers start dropping due to injuries. Chris Olave is going to try and play this week, but if not, his top receivers will be rookie A.T. Perry, Lynn Bowden and Keith Kirkwood. Carr is a low-end QB2 with that group, maybe a little more if Olave can play.
Week 12 at Atlanta Falcons
The bye week helped Derek Carr recover from his concussion and shoulder injury suffered in Week 10. He's off the injury report and will play against the Falcons. He is now without Michael Thomas, who went on injured reserve with a knee injury, but Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed should still have success against the Falcons, giving Carr some streaming potential this week. He's an intriguing QB2 this week.
Week 10 at Minnesota Vikings
Derek Carr's streak of 300-yard games came to a halt last week against the Bears, but it was another good day taking care of the football. Carr completed a season-high 73.5% of his passes (25/34) and threw two touchdowns. Carr has been fine of late and will make a fine QB2 this week against a good Minnesota defense that is rolling with four straight wins.
Week 9 vs. Chicago Bears
New Orleans has been getting a bit hotter on offense and that includes Derek Carr. Three straight 300-yard games for Mr. Carr has him on the border of being a starting quarterback again in fantasy football. Especially this week against a Bears team that is falling apart, though they did just add Montez Sweat, so it will be interesting to see how they use him this week.
Week 8 at Indianapolis Colts
The Saints have really been letting Derek Carr sling the football of late. Two straight games with at least 50 passing attempts which has turned into two straight games with 300+ yards and a touchdown. And now he gets a favorable matchup against a down Colts defense. This could be a week that Carr becomes an interesting daily option or if you happen to stream quarterbacks.
Week 7 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Derek Carr threw 50 passes in Week 6 against the Texans, completing 32 of them for 353 yards. Still, he only threw one touchdown pass. He has just one game with multiple touchdown passes. The Saints' passing offense just hasn't been all that explosive unless the ball is in the hands of Alvin Kamara or Chris Olave. The only reason Carr is bumped up rankings this week is because six teams are on a bye, so the pool is limited. Still, you can probably find a better option on the waiver wire this week while your main quarterback is on a bye, if that is the case for you.
Week 6 at Houston Texans
Derek Carr actually threw three touchdown passes in last week’s dominating win over the Patriots. Yet he once again threw for less than 200 yards. That’s three games in a row for that. He gets the Texans this week, who haven’t been all that bad on defense this year, especially rookie Will Anderson, who will look to get right in Carr’s face all day. Carr can be a serviceable QB2, but you’re likely to find better options this week, even in the QB2 range.
Week 3 at Green Bay Packers
The highlight for Derek Carr through two weeks is throwing for over 300 yards in Week 1. Otherwise, it hasn't exactly been pretty. Carr has more interceptions (2) than touchdowns (1) to start the season. New Orleans is 2-0 despite Carr's play. This week, it's a good Packers defense. Carr is borderline startable in Superflex leagues until he proves otherwise.
