Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marquise Brown enters the season as the undisputed WR1 following DeAndre Hopkins's release. In his first year with the team, Brown had 67 catches for 709 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games.
The 26-year-old wideout was a fantasy football superstar to begin the season with Hopkins suspended. He was the WR5 during Week 1 through Week 6 and averaged an impressive 18.3 points per game. But Brown has been dealing with a foot injury this offseason.
So, is he injured or healthy? What is his fantasy value this season? Let’s dive in.
Is Marquise Brown Injured Or Healthy?
Brown was held out of Arizona’s mandatory minicamp on Tuesday with what is being called a foot issue. Head coach Jonathan Gannon said the decision to keep him out of the team's first practice was only precautionary. The Cardinals will wrap up their minicamp on Thursday, June 16.
It’s not a good sign that Brown is already missing practice in June due to a foot issue, the same injury that caused him to miss five weeks last season. He broke his left foot in Week 6 against the Seahawks.
Brown’s absence from practice should not be a big concern, though. It’s only June, and the Cardinals are likely taking a careful approach with their WR1. He should be a full-go for Training Camp next month.
Marquise Brown Fantasy Football Outlook
Brown was a fantasy WR1 without Hopkins on offense in 2022. From Week 1 to Week 6, he had six straight double-digit fantasy performances and three games with 20-plus points. The speedy playmaker averaged 10.6 targets, 7.2 catches, and 80.8 yards per game as the top receiving option in those games.
The wideout might have a hard time repeating that success this season – even without Hopkins. Quarterback Kyler Murray is not expected to be ready for Week 1, meaning Arizona will roll with Colt McCoy under center. McCoy averaged just 195 passing yards in four games as the Cardinals' quarterback in 2022. The offense also averaged just 16.3 points per game in those weeks, so Brown might struggle to put up big fantasy numbers in Murray’s absence.
Being the WR1 in Arizona will surely help Brown’s fantasy value this year. He might not put up consistent numbers to start the season with McCoy. But once Murray returns, the wideout will be a WR2 with WR1 upside.
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