There's a strong case to be made that Derek Carr is and has been the most underrated fantasy and real life quarterback in football. In his last four seasons, he's the only QB to complete at least 2/3 of his passes and throw for at least 4,000 yards each season. On top of that, Carr hasn't missed a game during that span and has shown improved durability compared to earlier in his career. With the Raiders having acquired Carr's good friend and star college receiver at Fresno State, Dav ante Adams, Las Vegas' QB has significant fantasy appeal this season. The Raiders already boasted two 100+ reception pass catchers from the past two seasons – elite tight end Darren Waller and slot receiver Hunter Renfrow. With their presence, it's unlikely Adams can be double teamed often and therefore Carr may see a lot of single coverage on his top targets.
There are two reasons to keep Carr on the QB1 borderline though:
1. He averages less than ten rushing yards per game and offers no value on the ground.
2. The Raiders last five games of the fantasy season (Weeks 13-17) are against five strong defenses: the Chargers, Rams, Patriots, Steelers, and 49ers.
For fantasy football purposes, Carr might be best suited as a QB1 platoon candidate with a Kirk Cousins, Deshaun Watson (depending on his suspension), or Trey Lance. He'll definitely pop some weeks and is a preferred buy in best ball leagues.
Will Derek Carr become a top ten fantasy QB in 2022? Find out where he ranks in our 2022 Fantasy Football Rankings.