The Oakland Raiders have high expectations coming into the 2014 season and Derek Carr may have one more chance to win the starting job over Matt Schaub in the final game of the preseason, while fantasy football owners should look towards names like Maurice Jones-Drew, Denarius Moore, Darren McFadden and James Jones as well as Mychal Rivera when drafting Raiders players.
According to Pro Football Talk, Schaub has the inside track to the starting quarterback position, but Carr should get one more chance to impress with Week 4 of the preseason coming up on Thursday. The Raiders play against the Seattle Seahawks at home at O.co Coliseum and even though it's likely that Dennis Allen goes with Schaub to start the season, Carr will have another chance to impress the coaching staff after being taken in the second round.
The Raiders are looking to bounce back from their 4-12 record last season and they have made a number of moves to get that done, signing a ton of free agents, including James Jones and Maurice Jones-Drew along with Justin Tuck and others on defense. Pro Football Talk reports that Schaub is dealing with an elbow injury and while it's not serious, there's a chance that Carr could step up in the final preseason game to take the starting job.
Carr was one of the most productive quarterbacks in college football last season with Fresno State and offensive coordinator Greg Olson said that Carr has been comfortable working with the offense and in the "huddle" with everyone else. Carr said that he wants to be on the field and he will do whatever is best for the team and he could end up in the starting position. Schaub comes in after having a very tough season in 2013 and his struggles in the preseason could lead to Carr getting his shot.
Last season the Raiders used Matt McGloin and Terrelle Pryor as starters and there is a chance they could use both Carr and Schaub this season if either of the two struggle. Schaub looks like he will be the starter Week 1, but if he has a tough time over the first few games, Carr could find his way under center at some point. Dennis Allen said that the team is not concerned about the elbow injury, but it's likely that the team is preparing for the idea that Carr could be starting early in the season.
The Raiders come into the game after a loss to the Green Bay Packers and they open the season with a road game across the country against the Jets. The team may not want to unleash Carr on a solid defense like the Jets, but Allen likely will make the choice following the game against the Seahawks. Last season the Raiders ranked 25th in the league in passing yards per game and that is one area they are looking to improve.
Jones-Drew and Moore should be the two best fantasy players for this team and Rivera could be a sleeper option this year as well after putting up solid numbers last season and hey, if he plays well, maybe Naya Rivera will show up and cheer her bro on again.