Fantasy Football Rankings: 5 Big-name quarterbacks to avoid at all costs

3. Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders

Current ADP: 121.6

2017 Average Points Per Game: 12.9

Derek Carr looked like a shell of his former self last season. Don’t expect much to change in 2018, especially with Jon Gruden leading the charge. If anything, we could actually see worse results from the Oakland Raiders’ 2014 second-round pick than from a season ago.

Why? Well, for one, I actually think Carr’s supporting cast got worse this offseason. I know there’s been a lot of talk about how great Jordy Nelson looks, and that’s all fine and dandy. However, he’s still 33 years old and coming off arguably his worst season. Amari Cooper is extremely talented but wildly inconsistent. The same could be said for Martavis Bryant.

On top of that, Gruden figures to implement a run-heavy scheme focused on feeding Marshawn Lynch the football. With him and Doug Martin eating up touches, the opportunities to move the ball through the air won’t be as plentiful as in seasons passed.

Either way, I’m just losing faith in Carr’s talents after last season. He’s never been an outstanding fantasy quarterback, making a larger on-field impact than in the box score. We haven’t seen the same football from him since he suffered a broken leg near the end of the 2016 campaign. All the pieces are falling into place for this to be another lackluster go-around for Carr.

Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe Gruden will light a fire under his derriere, elevating Carr to levels we’ve yet to see from him through four seasons. Or maybe he’ll continue to be an underwhelming fantasy football presence. I’m going with the latter.

In the later rounds, you can find someone better than Carr.