Spencer

Rattler

Rattler goes from being the starter to the emergency QB with the return of David Carr (oblique). Williams was already listed out with his groin injury, so it’ll be Jordan Mims as the backup tailback against Carolina on Sunday.

Per head coach Dennis Allen, Carr was on a pitch count at practice but did well and remains on track to play in Week 9 against the Panthers. He told reports earlier in the week that he was optimistic Carr will be able to return on Sunday. Allen also noted that Jake Haener will back him up. If all goes well, Carr will return to a high-end QB2 ranking versus a dreadful Carolina defense. Chris Olave will also vault to the top of the WR2 rankings after topping 100 yards for the first time this year in Week 8.

Haener took over for Spencer Rattler, who was benched after two and a half quarters of erratic play. Haener was more accurate and more willing to push the ball downfield; he would certainly be better for the Saints offense than Rattler if Derek Carr (oblique) misses another week.

Jake Haener took over for Rattler in the third quarter after another disastrous outing for the rookie. Rattler, who had an adjusted yards per attempt of just 4.6 entering Week 8, completed 12 of 24 pass attempts for 156 scoreless yards. He did not throw an interception but missed several open pass catchers in the first half. Haener could get the nod in Week 9 if Derek Carr isn’t ready to return from his oblique injury.

Derek Carr is still nursing an oblique injury, putting Rattler in line to make his third career start. Rattler was thoroughly exposed by the Broncos last week. He threw for 172 scoreless yards and took six sacks. Jake Haener closed out the game and managed a garbage-time touchdown. With Rashid Shaheed done for the year, Chris Olave, who looks likely to return from his concussion this week, is the only New Orleans pass-catcher fantasy managers need to worry about. He will be a volume-based WR2 versus the Chargers this week.

Carr will reportedly have another throwing session to see where he’s at on Tuesday. Rattler left Thursday night’s game late due to ineffectiveness, but Allen told reporters he felt Rattler has played well when he’s had protection. With how good the Chargers defense has been playing this year, it’s likely neither quarterback is really worth starting for fantasy purposes in Week 8.

Per Allen, Carr’s return is a question of functionality, not pain tolerance. Carr has missed two games while working his way back from the oblique injury he suffered in Week 5. He is still a long-shot to return for the Saints’ Week 8 game against the Chargers but is making some progress. Spencer Rattler was pulled near the end of the Saints’ blowout loss to the Broncos on Thursday. Allen may ultimately opt for Jake Haener over him versus the Chargers.

Rattler’s second fumble was really more of a pick-six where he coughed the ball up into the air under pressure. He was lucky it wasn’t his second fumble-six of the evening, as he had an earlier one called back by an offsides penalty. Rattler was hit while throwing on his first cough up. That one thankfully didn’t result in a Broncos house call. That was the only good news of the night for an overmatched rookie who took a seat late and watched Jake Haener promptly lead a touchdown drive. Rattler’s supporting cast made for a hopeless situation, but he failed to overcome it to the degree that it’s fair to wonder if Haener gets the call in Week 8 against the Chargers if Derek Carr isn’t ready to return. More than anything, Rattler was making really poor reads.

Rattler looked the part of a fifth-round rookie making his NFL debut. The blame for both interceptions falls on him. He was also sacked five times, though the Saints’ offensive line is staffed by a number of reserves because of various injuries. Most frustrating was Rattler’s inability to keep his eyes downfield. He missed multiple receivers who were wide open for big gains and possible touchdowns. Rattler looked overwhelmed by the speed of an NFL defense in his first start, as was expected. With Derek Carr likely to miss Week 7 as well, the Saints will have to choose between Rattler and Jake Haener to start against the Broncos on Thursday.

Derek Carr is expected to miss multiple weeks with a tear in his oblique. Jake Haener was also in the running to take over at quarterback, but the Saints can use Carr’s absence to see what they have in the rookie. Rattler was one of the biggest fallers of the 2024 NFL Draft, tumbling into the fifth round after many analysts believed he could go on the second day. He should be added in all Superflex leagues, though redraft managers don’t need to consider him in his first career start.