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New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (oblique) is working his way back from an oblique injury he suffered in Week 5 against the Kansas City Chiefs. He was part of a long list of players who missed time due to ailments for the Saints.
It's been disappointing for fantasy managers who thought they had a steal in the draft. New Orleans' offense was the most explosive in the league through two weeks under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. It crashed down to Earth since, and the Saints are now 2-6.
So when will Carr return to play in 2024?
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Derek Carr Injury Update for Fantasy Football
There's good news on the horizon for this struggling team. The former Raider is expected to make his return in Week 9, marking his first game back after three straight absences. He'll attempt to right a ship that's gone in the wrong direction over the past six weeks.
Derek Carr expected back in starting lineup Sunday for #Saints
Carr is 90/128 (70.3%) for 989 yards with 8 TDs in five games this season
Source
✍️ John DeShazier pic.twitter.com/mp9I4ow6md
— FantasyHolics (@FantasyHolics1) October 29, 2024
He's now had a solid amount of time to recover from his injury. Of course, Louisiana's pro football team could opt to err on the side of caution, so fantasy managers should stay updated on this situation in case anything changes in the coming days.
Derek Carr Fantasy Football Outlook
We saw an absolutely elite Saints offense in the first two weeks when the team was at full strength. Unfortunately, a hail of injuries and bad luck have decimated what looked to be one of the best units of 2024. Even worse, some of those players won't return at all -- breakout star WR Rashid Shaheed (knee) is out for the season.
#Saints C Erik McCoy who suffered a groin injury during the Eagles game will need surgery & expected to miss 6-8 weeks per @MikeGarafolo.
Huge hit to the O-Line. Do the Saints stay in house or try to make a move outside of the current roster to hold down the center spot? pic.twitter.com/OZii3iBGVg
— The Kneaux (@beinthekneaux) September 24, 2024
The injury to excellent center Erik McCoy cratered the offense even before Shaheed went down. New Orleans' offense has been a shell of itself since then, with Carr unable to deal with the interior pressure generated. In addition, offensive guard Cesar Ruiz missed time, but there's good news on that front.
Both Taysom Hill and Cesar Ruiz upgraded to full by the #Saints pic.twitter.com/FQteN04dxZ
— Sara Palczewski (@SaraPalczewski) October 24, 2024
We may not see an elite Saints offense again until McCoy returns, but the return of Ruiz and a healthy WR, Chris Olave, certainly helps. With TE Taysom Hill coming back, the squad is still banged up, but key players will be taking the field again, meaning they'll have a chance. Longer-term, they'll need to stay healthy, though.
Carr profiles as a mid-range QB2 with low-end QB1 upside when his offensive line is healthy again. We likely won't see even mid-range QB1 numbers with Shaheed gone for the year, though.
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