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What to do with Derek Carr in Week 8 fantasy football

On the surface, Derek Carr’s been pretty unremarkable so far in 2019. Can a Week 8 meeting with the Texans change that?

Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr throws a pass in the first quarter during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

In the grand scheme of things, its been a relatively quiet season for Derek Carr. While he’s played decently and the Raiders have been far more competitive than anyone could have imagined, the veteran pivot’s yet to throw for 300 yards in a game. He’s yet have more than two touchdown passes in a single afternoon. He’s yet to surpass the modest threshold of even 17 fantasy points on a given Sunday. These are the types of things that can happen when you play a risk-averse style. Carr’s 6.6-yard aDOT is the 34th lowest figure of the 36 QBs who have played at least 25% of their team’s snaps. His 1,222 air yards are the lowest output of any AFC QB who had the pleasure of starting every single contest so far this season.

Still, as they say, every dog has his day. Though Carr’s ceiling has suffered due to his conservative nature, he’s actually been incredibly efficient in 2019. His 84.2% adjusted completion rate is the highest mark in the NFL, his 6.91 net yards gained per pass attempt ranks him 10th in the league, and he’s one of only 10 qualified quarterbacks with a QB rating above 100.0. Its also not as if he lacks intriguing weapons to throw to. Despite so much of August revolving around the exit of Antonio Brown, Darren Waller has emerged as one of the premier tight ends in football. Additionally, Tyrell Williams, who hasn’t played since Week 4, is looking like he might be back for Week 8 after practicing for the first time in nearly a month. His presence would certainly aid Carr’s viability.

Fantasy Football Analysis, Oakland Raiders QB Derek Carr

Maybe you don’t have a need for someone like Carr in a standard season-long set-up, but in DFS or a superflex setting, I’m really liking the the 28-year-old’s prospects this weekend. Houston’s secondary has been decimated with recent injuries and its not like the unit was all that strong to begin with. In fact, only two teams have surrendered more passing yards per game than the Texans (294.6) and the last three QBs to face the squad have averaged 29.4 DKFP. Who says no to a Carr-Waller stack in a tournament?

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