X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

2016 Fantasy Football Team Outlook - Arizona Cardinals

This article continues off our team outlook series where we will breakdown each NFL team from a fantasy football perspective. We will cover the major changes on each team in the offseason and project what the team will do in the upcoming season.

Today we look at the Arizona Cardinals.

Editor's Note: Purchase a full season NFL Premium Pass (including Draft Kit + DFS Premium), and also get MLB Premium + DFS for free through October. Premium DFS lineup picks, expert lineups, tools and more - seven days a week. You can see screenshots of our NFL Premium and MLB Premium and DFS tools. What are you waiting for?

 

Offseason Moves

Offseason Acquisitions: LB Chandler Jones, S Tyvon Branch, G Evan Mathis.

Offseason Departures: No notable departures.

 

Quarterback

Age has certainly not been a factor for Carson Palmer. While quarterbacks are often able to play well into their 30's, not many are able to put up numbers like the highly touted veteran. Limited to just six games in 2014 after tearing his ACL, Palmer bounced back tremendously in 2015 with 35 touchdown passes and 4,671 yards through the air. He threw four touchdowns in a single game three times, and heads into 2016 as a reliable option at quarterback with an impressive offensive unit behind him.

The Cardinals enter the new season with a ton of depth at running back, wide receiver, and tight end. But it would probably be wise to keep your expectations at a realistic level with Palmer - he's unlikely to breach the 35 touchdown mark again, but the leader of the Cardinals should certainly flirt with 30. He's a QB1 that will likely be taken inside the top 10 of quarterbacks.

 

Running Backs

This is a scary unit, led by up-and-coming sensation David Johnson. Johnson wasted no time in letting himself be known in 2015. In Week One, Johnson touched the ball only once - a 55 yard reception for a touchdown. It wasn't until the latter part of the season that the rookie started rushing the ball effectively, including a three touchdown, 187 rushing yard performance against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15. Even with a small sample size of experience, this kid is special. He will only learn and grow playing alongside Chris Johnson.

Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington make up the rest of the three-headed backfield in Arizona - although neither Johnson or Ellington have as much fantasy upside. They will certainly get their touches, but it's clear who the favorite is here in David Johnson.

CJ2K and Ellington aren't reliable starters for fantasy, but are worth a look and stash in deeper leagues. They're handcuffs to Johnson, but CJ2K was once the best back in the league and Ellington was once the potential future for the Cardinals. Johnson will surly fly off the board in the first round of every draft.

 

Wide Receiver

Leading the receiver unit is veteran Larry Fitzgerald. Fitz is currently dealing with a slight MCL sprain and has been held out of some preseason action. Because of the injury, Fitz's value has certainly dropped. Although, even if fully healthy, it's more realistic to believe that Fitz won't come close to the numbers he put up in his resurgent season in 2015. The Cardinals are a crowded offensive unit and Palmer knows how to spread the love like the best of the them. Injury or not, Fitz has dropped from WR1 consideration, but is definitely not a bad WR2 or WR3, just as long as his knee holds up.

With John Brown also dealing with a concussion (update: he's been cleared to practice, but missed Arizona's third preseason game), the Cardinals have paired Michael Floyd with Carson Palmer during preseason game snaps. This could mean a couple of things. One, the injuries leave Arizona with no choice. Or two, the team has big plans for the tandem this season. I'm favoring the latter.

It was a weird, inconsistent season for Floyd in 2015 - consisting of multiple injuries that resulted in six games of only one or zero receptions. In these games, Floyd accumulated less than 20 receiving yards. In every other contest, the fourth year receiver posted at least 50 yards, including five performances of over 100 yards. He's also no stranger to the big play, catching 40+ yard passes three times. Floyd, now healthy, is set for his long awaited breakout season. Keep an eye on him, as he'll likely be drafted as a top-30 receiver.

 

Tight End

Tight end is another position where the Cardinals have multiple options to work with. Jermaine Gresham and Carson Palmer have history playing in Cincinnati together once upon a time. Gresham was nearly non-existent last season, reeling in only 18 catches on 32 targets, so it's tough to believe that the Cardinals will start using him, or Fells, more consistently when they've rarely favored inserting the tight end into their offensive attack frequently.

Fells out-caught Gresham last season, by only three receptions, but did find the end zone three times (two more than Gresham). Neither are TE1 material but could prove to be solid backups. I'm not even sure either are draft-worthy in standard leagues, and will likely serve better as wait-and-see fillers come the start of the season into midseason.

 

Kicker

Chandler Catanzaro finished the 2015 season with the second most extra points made in the league. While field goals are obviously more important, this stat simply shows us that the Cardinals offense is no joke. And with Bruce Arians at the helm, Catanzaro should see plenty of opportunities to kick, extra points and field goals. He only missed three three-pointers, but failed to convert a 50-yarder on just two attempts. His leg strength is always in question but his accuracy isn't. He's a safe pick, a top-10 kicker, without a ton of upside.

 

Defense

The Cardinals scored seven touchdowns on defense last season and enter the 2016 campaign ranked inside the top 10. Arizona's defense is another safe pick, especially after putting together 33 total takeaways in 2015 (19 interceptions, 14 force fumbles). Expect big fantasy numbers throughout the season.

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Trey Lyles17 mins ago

Available To Play On Thursday
Jamal Murray23 mins ago

Expected To Play Friday
Nikola Jokić26 mins ago

Nikola Jokic Tagged As Probable For Friday
Jonathan Kuminga30 mins ago

Upgraded To Available On Thursday
Bailey Horn1 hour ago

Traded To Detroit
Ryan Loutos1 hour ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Sam Darnold1 hour ago

Mike Macdonald, Seahawks Excited About Sam Darnold
Matt Strahm2 hours ago

Will Be Evaluated Again On Saturday
Charlie Lindgren2 hours ago

Gets The Nod Against Kings Thursday
Domantas Sabonis2 hours ago

Out Again On Thursday
Nick Castellanos2 hours ago

Dealing With Illness
Filip Gustavsson2 hours ago

Starts Against Rangers Thursday
Joe Flacco2 hours ago

Visits With Giants
Jonathan Ornelas2 hours ago

To Begin Season At Triple-A
Connor Zary2 hours ago

Suspended For Two Games
Rui Hachimura2 hours ago

Listed As Day-To-Day
Gerson Garabito2 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Olamide Zaccheaus2 hours ago

Inks Deal With Chicago
Dougie Hamilton2 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Regular Season
Rasmus Ristolainen2 hours ago

Unavailable Thursday
LeBron James2 hours ago

Considered Day-To-Day After Road Trip
De'Aaron Fox2 hours ago

To Miss The Rest Of The Season
Gardner Minshew II2 hours ago

Signs With Kansas City
Nikita Kucherov2 hours ago

Out Against Flyers
Lonzo Ball2 hours ago

Sidelined Against Brooklyn
Yegor Chinakhov2 hours ago

Sits Out Thursday's Game
Gerrit Cole2 hours ago

UCL Surgery Includes Internal Brace
Josh Giddey3 hours ago

Officially Out On Thursday
Jordan Walker3 hours ago

Could Return To Action On Saturday
Damian Lillard3 hours ago

Good To Go Versus The Lakers
Jose Altuve3 hours ago

Astros Happy With How Jose Altuve Has Looked In The Outfield
Yves Missi3 hours ago

Out Thursday Against Magic
Giannis Antetokounmpo3 hours ago

Cleared To Meet The Lakers
Jesús Sánchez3 hours ago

Jesus Sanchez Pulled Early With Side Issue
Jaxson Hayes3 hours ago

Out Against Milwaukee
Noah Clowney3 hours ago

Ruled Out On Thursday
Forrest Whitley3 hours ago

Shelved With Bruised Knee
Spencer Steer4 hours ago

Showing Signs Of Improvement
Jaden Ivey4 hours ago

Unavailable For Another Four Weeks
Andrew Benintendi4 hours ago

Feeling "Really Good"
Bilal Coulibaly4 hours ago

Could Miss Rest Of Season
Paul George4 hours ago

Assessing Options With Surgery Possible
Stone Smartt5 hours ago

Jets Sign Stone Smartt To One-Year Deal
Houston Texans5 hours ago

Texans Acquire Ed Ingram From Vikings
Trevor Story5 hours ago

Takes Part In Simulated Game On Thursday
Rafael Devers5 hours ago

Doesn't Mind Serving As DH
Tyler Stephenson5 hours ago

Going For MRI Exam
Brandon Woodruff5 hours ago

To Make Spring Debut On Sunday
Ronald Acuña Jr.6 hours ago

Ronald Acuna Jr. Could Return In Early- To Mid-May
Los Angeles Chargers6 hours ago

Chargers Adding Defensive Lineman Naquan Jones
Spencer Strider6 hours ago

Could Rejoin The Rotation In Late April
Daulton Varsho6 hours ago

Throwing Up To 105 Feet
Max Scherzer6 hours ago

Should Be Back On The Mound Soon
Los Angeles Chargers6 hours ago

Chargers Signing Da'Shawn Hand To One-Year Deal
Washington Commanders6 hours ago

Sheldon Day Re-Signing With Commanders
K.J. Osborn6 hours ago

Heading Back To Washington
Harrison Bryant6 hours ago

Landing In Philadelphia
Brandon Allen6 hours ago

Joining Titans Quarterback Room
Ivan Barbashev6 hours ago

Returning On Thursday
Kenny Pickett6 hours ago

Views Himself As Browns Starter
Igor Shesterkin7 hours ago

Starting On Thursday
Neal Pionk7 hours ago

Misses Second Straight Practice
Nikolaj Ehlers7 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Thursday
Andrei Svechnikov7 hours ago

Doubtful For Friday
Nikita Kucherov7 hours ago

A Game-Time Call On Thursday
Noah Brown7 hours ago

Returning To Washington On One-Year Deal
Raheem Mostert7 hours ago

Raiders Signing Raheem Mostert To One-Year Deal
Cincinnati Bengals8 hours ago

Teams Finding Bengals' Asking Price On Trey Hendrickson To Be "Ridiculous"
New England Patriots8 hours ago

Patriots Plan To Release David Andrews
New Orleans Saints8 hours ago

Saints Give Isaac Yiadom A Three-Year Deal
Mason Rudolph8 hours ago

Back In The Steel City
Cooper Kupp11 hours ago

Seahawks Interested In Cooper Kupp
Brandin Podziemski11 hours ago

Out On Thursday
Yves Missi11 hours ago

Questionable Thursday
Kelly Olynyk11 hours ago

Misses Second Consecutive Game Thursday
Brandon Montour14 hours ago

Scores Twice In Victory
Dylan Guenther14 hours ago

Nets Game-Winner Over Anaheim
Elias Pettersson14 hours ago

Tallies Goal, Assist On Wednesday
Patrick Kane14 hours ago

Leads The Way Over Buffalo
Elias Pettersson14 hours ago

Sustains Injury On Wednesday
Jacob Bryson14 hours ago

Exits Early On Wednesday
NFL21 hours ago

Shemar Stewart To Visit With Falcons
Mikael Backlund22 hours ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury Wednesday
Joey Daccord23 hours ago

Looks To End Losing Streak Against Canadiens
Jacob Bridgeman1 day ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard1 day ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips1 day ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith1 day ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Sahith Theegala1 day ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick1 day ago

A Shaky Play Heading Into PLAYERS
Scottie Scheffler1 day ago

Eyeing Three-Peat At TPC Sawgrass
Aldrich Potgieter1 day ago

A Risky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Si Woo Kim2 days ago

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At The PLAYERS
Denny McCarthy2 days ago

Looks To Continue Solid Play At TPC Sawgrass
Collin Morikawa2 days ago

Poised For Another Strong Performance At TPC Sawgrass
Robert MacIntyre2 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At The PLAYERS Championship
Jordan Spieth2 days ago

Looking To Change Fortunes At TPC Sawgrass
Cameron Young2 days ago

Avoid Cameron Young At The PLAYERS Championship
Michael Kim2 days ago

Continues Incredible Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Justin Thomas2 days ago

Looking For More Magic At TPC Sawgrass
Xander Schauffele2 days ago

Continues Competitive Return At The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy2 days ago

Looks To Reverse Recent History At TPC Sawgrass
PGA2 days ago

Victor Hovland Looking To Find Form At The PLAYERS Championship
Brian Harman2 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee2 days ago

A Hard Name To Trust At The Players Championship
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Power-Steering Failure Foils Tyler Reddick's Bid For Potential Victory
William Byron3 days ago

Recovers From Being Trapped A Lap Down To Finish Sixth
Josh Berry3 days ago

Gives Wood Brothers Team Best Run Since 2021
Alex Pereira3 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 313
Magomed Ankalaev3 days ago

Becomes The New UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion
Justin Gaethje3 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Rafael Fiziev3 days ago

Loses Third Fight In A Row
Ignacio Bahamondes3 days ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC 313
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Scores His Third Consecutive Victory Of The Season At Phoenix
Kyle Larson3 days ago

Strong Phoenix Performance Falls Short Of Victory
Chris Buescher3 days ago

Quietly Earns A Top-Five Finish At Phoenix
Alex Bowman3 days ago

Leaves Phoenix With His Best Finish At The Site Since 2016
Zane Smith3 days ago

Quietly Nabs His First Phoenix Top-10 Finish
Jalin Turner3 days ago

Retires After UFC 313 Loss
Iasmin Lucindo3 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 313
Amanda Lemos3 days ago

Dominates At UFC 313
King Green3 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC 313
Mauricio Ruffy3 days ago

Scores Highlight-Reel Knockout
Chase Elliott5 days ago

Is Chase Elliott Worth Rostering At Phoenix This Week For DFS?
Joey Logano5 days ago

Will Be A Top Contender To Win At Phoenix
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Is Difficult to Recommend As A DFS Option
Carson Hocevar5 days ago

Is Not An Ideal Driver To Add To Phoenix DFS Lineups
Brad Keselowski5 days ago

Is A Solid DFS Choice For Phoenix Lineups
Austin Cindric5 days ago

Could Be Worth Using In Phoenix Tournament Lineups
Kyle Busch5 days ago

Should Fantasy Players Roster Kyle Busch At Phoenix?
Michael McDowell5 days ago

Is Michael McDowell Worth Rostering For Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Ty Gibbs5 days ago

Is A DFS Recommendation Despite Inconsistent Track History At Phoenix
Austin Dillon5 days ago

Is Austin Dillon Worth Rostering In DFS For Phoenix This Week?
Cole Custer5 days ago

Is An Underrated DFS Value Pick For Phoenix Lineups
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

DFS Value Likely Hinges On How Much He Leads
Chase Briscoe5 days ago

Despite Strong Phoenix Record, Chase Briscoe Qualifies Inexplicably Poorly
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Dallas Goedert - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dallas Goedert Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Trade Outlook

The Philadelphia Eagles are apparently attempting to trade their top tight end, Dallas Goedert, for at least a fourth-round pick in compensation. Whether or not they get their wish remains to be seen, but Goedert was still a reasonably productive TE in his final year with the Eagles with injuries aside. Part of the reason […]


Davante Adams - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

NFL Free Agency Tracker - Updates On Every Free Agent Signing (2025)

The NFL offseason is starting to heat up, and the league's legal tampering period is set to begin on March 10 at noon Eastern. Free agents cannot officially sign until the new league year begins on March 12 at 4 p.m. Eastern, but deals will be agreed to, and news will be coming in quickly […]


Kareem Hunt - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Kareem Hunt Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt had a decent season filling in for the injured Isiah Pacheco and later serving in a committee with him when he returned from his broken fibula. He was technically signed "off the street" as he wasn't even in the NFL when the Chiefs reached out to him for […]


Joe Flacco - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Joe Flacco Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Joe Flacco has hit the open market, and the Colts have decided to go in another direction for their backup QB job. They signed former New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daniel Jones to back up Anthony Richardson, though many are rightfully convinced that Jones will end up as the starter, […]


Brandin Cooks - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Brandin Cooks Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Wide receiver Brandin Cooks is a free agent for the first time in his career after his contract with the Dallas Cowboys expired this offseason. He is now free to sign with any team he chooses. Cooks did not have his best season in 2024. He only posted a 26-259-3 line in 10 games and […]


Gus Edwards - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

Gus Edwards Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

The Los Angeles Chargers recently cut Gus Edwards after one season with the team. He had just signed a two-year deal with Los Angeles last offseason, but apparently, the team wanted to go in a different direction. It’s understandable as Edwards averaged a career-worst 3.6 yards per carry in 2024. His advanced metrics weren’t great […]


Ja'Marr Chase - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS and Betting Picks

Ranking Each NFL Team's Group of Pass-Catchers (WR/TE)

The NFL has become a passing league. It's been like that for a while now; it's no mystery. Wide receivers and tight ends are some of the most popular players in the league. For fantasy football, we have continued to emphasize receivers more than running backs. NFL general managers are doing the same. For goodness […]


Shedeur Sanders - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

2025 NFL Draft Boom-or-Bust Prospects: Fantasy Football’s Biggest Wild Cards

It can be hard to determine how successful some players will be in the NFL. There is a vast array of skills players must possess at different positions to succeed at the next level, and while generally only the best college football players are chosen early in the NFL Draft, they don't always pan out. […]


RJ Harvey - NFL Rookie Rankings, Draft Prospects, Running Back

Fantasy Football Running Back Sleepers For PPR Leagues: 2025 RB Draft Values

A running back who plays a big percentage of the snaps and catches a lot of passes can easily be a league-winner in fantasy football, especially in PPR formats. A catch counts for the same amount of points as a 10-yard rush does, and it's far easier to catch a football than it is to […]


Shedeur Sanders - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

Coach Knows Ball: Shedeur Sanders NFL Draft Film Breakdown of Colorado QB

Welcome to Coach Knows Ball, an NFL Draft series analyzing the top prospects in the 2025 class. I'm a college football coach with 10 years of NCAA experience and have been scouting NFL Draft prospects for over 15 years. This series will give a deep dive into the film of some of the top players […]


Jayden Daniels - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Early 2025 Fantasy Football Rankings: Predicting The Top-3 Players At Each Position

The 2025 fantasy football season is still several months away. However, it’s never too early to start preparing for next year. Much will change between today and the start of the regular season in September. Yet, let’s dive into my way too early rankings, predicting who will finish in the top three at each position. […]


Davante Adams - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

NFL Free Agent Fantasy Football Outlooks For 2025: Davante Adams, Najee Harris, Joshua Palmer

Old faces in new places. Some of the NFL's big names continue their career in a new city. Davante Adams landed in Los Angeles after a two-team 2024 campaign. Najee Harris looks to continue his 1,000-yard streak in California as well. Joshua Palmer teams up with the reigning NFL MVP. How does the shifting free-agency […]


Tucker Kraft - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Tight End Fantasy Football Breakouts from Last Year - 2025 Outlooks

Once the NFL season is over, it's always interesting -- and helpful -- to look back at the season that was and see what we can learn from it. In this entry, we'll review the tight-end position for 2024 and identify three breakout tight ends. First, we must define what a breakout is. For this […]