Raiders rookie and surprise starter Derek Carr could not have picked a more troubled cornerback corps to debut against Sunday.
The Jets are a mess in that area. Antonio Allen, who has moved from safety to corner, has just been cleared after sustaining a concussion. An ankle injury will almost certainly keep Dee Milliner sidelined. Dimitri Patterson went AWOL and was cut. And the Jets are so desperate they might start Browns castoff Leon McFadden, who was seemingly whistled for interference on every pass thrown his way in the preseason. The Jets ranked 22nd in the NFL in pass defense a year ago and could be worse in 2014.
That makes Carr an intriguing Fantasy start. Also encouraging is that the Raiders have added playmakers in the offseason that should give him several viable weapons. Running back Maurice Jones-Drew and wide receiver James Jones are legitimate threats, as are holdover wideouts Denarius Moore and Rod Streater.
Don't expect Carr to light it up for 300 yards and three touchdowns - such is too much to ask for in his introduction to the regular season in the NFL and he will be playing in front of a hostile crowd. But he is coming off a preseason finale in which he completed 11 of 13 passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns and he clearly outperformed expected starter Matt Schaub in exhibition play. There are certainly worse options against a Jets pass defense that appears destined for disaster early in the season.