Former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback is reportedly signing a four-year contract with the New Orleans Saints. Let’s take a look at the fantasy implications of the Saints’ newest addition.
Fantasy football impact: Derek Carr contract with Saints
Impact on Carr
Derek Carr had a down season in 2022. The Raiders went 6-11 last season, and Carr ended up with a career-low completion percentage of 60.8% and a career-high interception rate. He passed for 24 TDs and 14 INTs. While he’ll leave his favorite target in Davante Adams, Carr will inherit a very solid receiving corps in New Orleans with plenty of potential and more depth than the Raiders could offer. He should also benefit from moving to a very weak NFC South, escaping Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs as well as the Broncos’ tricky defense.
Impact on Alvin Kamara
Carr is not much of a runner. He had just 102 total rushing yards last season, relying on a single Raiders running back to get yards on the ground. Kamara may not see Josh Jacobs numbers, but his position and stats won’t be threatened by the signing of Carr.
Impact on Chris Olave, passing game
The Saints have been dealing with a lot of instability at the quarterback position as of late. Getting a seasoned starter in there has the potential to make a real impact on a Saints offense that seems to be filled with potential. Second-year WR Chris Olave has all the makings of a star with the right guy behind him — whether or not that’s Carr remains to be seen.
Carr does tend to favor the deep ball more tha other QBs in the league, and if Olave can create separation, he could be putting up Davante Adams-like numbers in the next few seasons. Olave is joined by Juwan Johnson, Tre’Quan Smith, and, if healthy and not traded, Michael Thomas.