Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has taken a giant leap forward in his second season. Through seven games he is well on his way to surpassing all of his rookie numbers. As of right now, the Raiders offense ranks ninth in yards per game (365.3) and eighth in points (25.4) and Oakland as a team is above .500 at 4-3. Carr has been everything and more than both the Raiders and fantasy football owners could have hoped for, thanks to his own natural development and the improved offensive weapons around him.
And the fun is just beginning.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, long thought of as the cream of the crop in the AFC, are solid this year yet vulnerable in certain areas. Fantasy owners debating whether or not they can trust Carr this week against Pittsburgh, especially in Daily Fantasy Sports, should lean towards the positive.
"The Steelers' defense has some deceptively strong stats against opposing quarterbacks this season," ESPN Fantasy Football Insider Alvin Zeidenfeld wrote. "They're in the top third of the league in fantasy points per game allowed to QBs, yet they're allowing the seventh-most passing yards per game to quarterbacks (284 yards per game). When you give up that kind of yardage, you're bound to be vulnerable to eventually getting exploited in a big way. Carr has burst onto the scene this season and at just $5,500 [in Daily Fantasy Sports], he's an absolute steal in what could be a high-scoring affair."
Carr has thrown for 622 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions over his last two games. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, ranks 27th in opposing completion percentage (67.8) and 19th in yards per attempt (7.5) and passer rating (93.3) this year. As Zeidenfeld wrote, the Steelers pass defense can be beat.
It will be a tough test, but Carr has the ability to come up big for fantasy owners this week.
