Derek Carr improved mightily on the stat sheet from his rookie season to last year -- his completion percentage when pressured, his yards-per attempt from the pocket, and his completion percentage on passes of at least 20 yards all improved dramatically -- but he faded in the second half of his "sophomore" NFL season. Because after having six top-10 fantasy weeks in his first nine games, Carr averaged an 18th-place weekly positional ranking while finishing in the Top 10 one time. Another year of seasoning with his wideouts should bear sustainability.
Derek Carr
ESPN Fantasy Projection: 3,847.1 yards, 30.8 TDs
Over or under: Over for both. If for no other reason than both figures are lower than what Carr turned in last season, when he passed for 3,987 yards and 32 touchdowns, and if Carr is truly on the ascent, then logic dictates another jump, right? Much, though, depends on his targets not regressing and Amari Cooper, especially, cutting down on his drops. Per ESPN Stats & Info, Cooper’s 10 drops were the second-most in the NFL, and Pro Football Focus actually had him leading the league with 18 drops. The Raiders' AC/DC Connection lived together as training camp roommates in an effort to have their off-the-field vibe translate onto the field. A reinvigorated Michael Crabtree got his new contract, so he should be content, and tight end Clive Walford is still rounding into shape from his offseason ATV accident. Carr’s pass-catchers jumped up from 4.3 yards after the catch in 2014 to 5.3 yards after the catch last season. That should also improve with more familiarity with each other.
Who else could see time: This is Carr’s team, so unless an injury knocks him out or he falls on his face, neither Matt McGloin nor fourth-round draft pick Connor Cook should see much, if any, of the field this season.
