Derek Carr

Carr was objectively awesome on paper in Week 1. As the QB6 in fantasy, he was sixth in yards per attempt, first in CPOE, second in passer rating and fifth in fantasy points per dropback. I was expecting a jump for the Saints offense under Klint Kubiak, but I wasn't expecting this. Yes, I know it was against Carolina, but it still has to be mentioned. Carr could stack back-to-back surprising outings against Dallas. Yes, I know this was one of the top pass defenses in the NFL last year, and they crushed the Browns in Week 1. Let's get this out of the way, though. Deshaun Watson is one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the NFL as he was last year when under center, so I take their stomping of the Browns' offense with a grain of salt. Digging deeper, Dallas was only 20th in CPOE, and their pass rush wasn't impressive. They allowed the ninth-highest time to throw while applying only a 10.7% pressure rate, as they didn't blitz at all. Carolina only managed to pressure Carr on 27.4% of his dropbacks last week (second-lowest rate). I know there's a big difference in pass rush quality, but we could be overrating Dallas's ability to bring pressure here with only Micah Parsons striking fear in the Saints' hearts. Carr could post solid numbers again in Week 2.

Derek Carr completed 19 of his 23 pass attempts for 200 yards and three touchdowns in New Orleans' Week 1 win over Carolina. He added two carries for 13 yards.

Fantasy Impact

Carr was sensational in the season opener, tossing a 59-yard touchdown on the first drive and finishing with a QB rating of 142.5. He could've had an even more explosive day if the Panthers were able to generate any kind of offense, but he only needed to throw seven passes in the second half. It was additionally promising to observe him shred the Panthers defense without having to rely on Chris Olave. Carr will be in for a much tougher test in Dallas next week, and will remain a QB2 for fantasy purposes.