I didn’t pay a lot of attention to the complete set of rankings for fantasy football quarterbacks heading into this season, mostly because I’m in leagues that diminish the point values for them. Last year, I had Aaron Rodgers and Daniel Jones as part of tandems on both of my teams. I vowed not to make the same mistakes again. Too much agita.
So this year, I savvily eschewed any home market “loyalty” and chose the likes of Jordan Love and Tua Tagliovola. What could go wrong with two young pass-happy gunslingers, right?
If only I had chosen to ignore the pundits that placed an older, fading name toward the bottom of the category. Because whomever has Derek Carr is a lot happier today than I am.
As CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin wrote this afternoon:
Holy cow. Did we, along with the rest of known humankind, totally whiff on Derek Carr’s potential in the New Orleans Saints’ offense under new coordinator Klint Kubiak? Routing the Carolina Panthers was one thing. Torching the Dallas Cowboys is another. Carr, Alvin Kamara and Co. look five years younger.
Added NFL.com’s Kevin Patra:
The early returns on the Klint Kubiak offense are perfect. New Orleans has put up points on Derek Carr‘s first 15 drives of the 2024 season. On Sunday, the Saints scored touchdowns on their first six possessions before a tipped interception ended the streak. The Saints came out firing, with Carr hurling perfect deep shots. The QB hit Rashid Shaheed in stride for a 70-yard touchdown, a picture-perfect pass. Alvin Kamara took a screen 54 yards for one of his four touchdowns of the day, blowing things open in the second quarter. Kamara looks vintage in Kubiak’s offense, owning the perfect vision and slipperiness for the outside runs. The offensive line held up well in front of Carr, keeping the QB mostly clean and allowing time for the deep shots (Micah Parsons had just three QB pressures). The Saints’ offense was so effective that they not only found pay dirt six straight times but barely got to third downs. In five first-half drives, the Saints faced a third down three times. That’s the definition of efficient.
I also went out of my way to avoid another Jet quarterback of the past who was also well down the draft rankings, and so far he’s doing not half bad, either. Per NFL.com’s Nick Shook:
It was fair to question whether Sam Darnold, the former first-round pick of the Jets, would be able to handle starting duties in 2024, especially considering how he’d performed the last time he was a frequent starter in Carolina. Those worries are starting to melt away, because for a second straight week, Darnold commanded his role and propelled the Vikings to victory. Darnold posted another quality line — 17 for 26, 268 yards, two touchdowns — tacked on 32 rushing yards on five scrambles, and only made one mistake when he threw an interception, which was as much of a great play by 49ers linebacker Fred Warner as it was a bad decision by Darnold. Most importantly, Darnold did not wilt under the pressure of a tight game, and showed off his maturity when he ripped a rocket down the seam over Warner and between three 49ers defenders to Jalen Nailor for a pickup of 26 on third-and-8. Darnold hasn’t made that kind of play since his days at USC, and they’re becoming more frequent (see: his 97-yard touchdown pass to Justin Jefferson). That bodes well for these Vikings.
And as Benjamin reminded, Darnold was also most recently a 49er. So call him a spoiler twice over. Here’s another nugget that Shook dropped:
Sam Darnold has a 72.0 completion percentage and 111.8 passer rating over two games in 2024, both wins for the Vikings. In comparison, Darnold had the lowest completion percentage (59.7) and passer rating (78.3) in the NFL from 2018-2023 (among 39 QBs with 1,000-plus pass attempts).
But I was able to salvage yet another ex-Jet QB off the scrap heap. And somehow, he’s continuing his own renaissance, too. When Geno Smith has this kind of talent, you ignore the track record. Per NFL.com’s Coral Smith:
Seattle Seahawks 23, New England Patriots 20
(F)or Seattle, getting yards through the air was little issue, as the dynamic duo of DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 129 and 117 receiving yards, respectively.
Oh–I happen to have taken a flyer on JSN, too, and he may have indeed saved my chance to win my matchup this week.
It’s gonna be a long season.
Courage…