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

2014 Outlook for Michael Floyd: Biggest 2013 Breakouts

The greatest thing about fantasy football is how unpredictable it is.  There is no player you can draft that is guaranteed to produce at the rate you expect him to, whether that's due to injury, talent or situation.  Doug Martin, Trent Richardson, Alshon Jeffery and Josh Gordon were all prime examples of this, and each either destroyed the hopes and dreams of many owners or paved the way to a championship for others.  In this series, I want to talk about players that truly did make a difference this year in the form of breaking out and becoming legitimate fantasy options, with an eye toward what we can expect next season.  We will count down and ultimately analyze the ten biggest breakout players.

 

Biggest Breakout #10: Michael Floyd

Michael FloydFloyd was always considered one of the better wide receiver prospects in college when he was with Notre Dame.  He is listed at 6’3’’ and 220 pounds, and uses every pound to his advantage as he is exceptional at making catches over the middle and in traffic.  He was never the fastest player on the field, but he has good burst for his size and his athleticism more than makes up for the lack of elite speed.

The wide receiver had a slow rookie year in 2012, failing to make a big impact for his team outside of Week 17, only eclipsing 50 yards twice the whole season and scoring just two touchdowns.  While a lot of the blame can be attributed to poor quarterback play, he still failed to meet even the lowest of expectations for a 13th overall pick.  He started low on the depth chart and failed to unseat Andre Roberts as starting wideout opposite Larry Fitzgerald.  In Week 17 however, Floyd finally broke out, putting up a huge game against San Francisco, hauling in eight grabs for 166 yards and a touchdown on 14 targets.  It was reason enough for Cardinal fans-- as well as fantasy managers-- to be excited for the next year's prospects.

During the 2013 offseason, the Cards acquired Carson Palmer and Rashard Mendenhall and drafted Andre Ellington, Stepfan Taylor and Jonathan Cooper.  With these additions along with the expected development of Floyd, there was a lot of buzz going around Cardinal camp.  Palmer looked much better than he did with Oakland, and Bruce Arians was brought in as the coach to oversee a vertical offense.  Many fantasy experts pegged Michael Floyd as a sleeper WR4 in an offense that was bound to improve this year.

 

The Stats 

Floyd definitely improved this year, and while he did not find himself among the ranks of the elites, he is certainly on his way there.  The Cardinals #2 wide receiver finished with 65 catches for 1041 yards and five touchdowns, good enough for the #22 wide receiver in standard scoring.  He had two games with over 100 yards receiving, and one with 99, and was targeted 10 or more times on four occasions.  He had his first score in Week 6, and had his best game in Week 11 against Jacksonville, hauling in six catches for 193 yards, including a 91-yard touchdown.

 

The Analysis

Many experts ended up being correct in pegging Michael Floyd as a solid sleeper.  The Cardinal offense ended up being very potent, as Carson Palmer and Bruce Arians both contributed to their success.  Palmer showed solid arm strength, something we didn't see in Oakland, and ended up playing all 16 games despite an elbow injury.  Andre Ellington also broke out in the middle of the year and become another weapon that teams needed to worry about.  The improved situation in Arizona plus a rejuvenated Larry Fitzgerald gave Floyd all the help he needed in order to succeed in the offense.  With a year of experience under his belt, Floyd truly began to play as many scouts expected him to.  He showed explosion off the line of scrimmage, and routinely made big catches, jumping over defenders and hauling in tough grabs over the middle.  With Bruce Arians calling for a more vertical attack, Floyd showed off his skills by constantly getting deep and winning jump balls.  While he only scored five touchdowns, there were a few occasions where he was stopped just short.  In the second half of the season, there were many games in which Palmer actually preferred to throw it to Floyd over Fitzgerald because of how well he was playing.

 

Looking Ahead

The future is very bright for Michael Floyd.  The Cardinals offense should be more explosive next year as long as Carson Palmer stays healthy.  Bruce Arians is an offensive mastermind, and the talent he has on offense is among the best in the league.  Given his situation, good health and overall talent level, it is safe to assume that Floyd is in line for an even better season next year.  He will be in his second year of the new Cardinals offense, and should score more touchdowns, as his lack of them was attributed to him being stopped inside the 5-yard line multiple times.  While expectations should be tempered, it is safe to assume that Floyd will improve on 2013's numbers and finish with over 1000 yards receiving while exceeding five touchdown catches.  His ceiling is sky-high, and he may find his way into the elite category as early as next year.

Dynasty owners need to keep Floyd on their team for the long haul.  He has gobs of potential, minimal injury history and had one of the best mentors in the NFL in Larry Fitzgerald.  With rumors swirling that Fitzgerald may be done in Arizona, there is reason to believe that Floyd may become one of the most targeted receivers in the NFL over the next five years.

 




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
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Austin Riley56 mins ago

Hitting Fifth On Friday
Max Muncy1 hour ago

Resting Against Southpaw
Hunter Renfroe1 hour ago

Riding Pine In Series Opener Against O's
Orlando Arcia1 hour ago

Sitting Against Marlins
Spencer Strider1 hour ago

Making Another Rehab Start On Friday
Paul DeJong2 hours ago

Sitting Against Diamondbacks
Luis F. Castillo2 hours ago

Officially Called Up To Start On Friday
Dylan Carlson2 hours ago

Orioles Send Dylan Carlson To Triple-A
Gunnar Henderson2 hours ago

Activated Off Injured List
Max Scherzer2 hours ago

Not Playing Catch On Friday
Erik Swanson2 hours ago

Throws Bullpen On Friday
Daulton Varsho3 hours ago

Not Throwing In Games
Arizona Cardinals3 hours ago

Kelvin Beachum Re-Signs One-Year Deal With Cardinals
Cody Bellinger3 hours ago

Sitting With Back Stiffness
NFL3 hours ago

Travis Hunter To Run Routes At Pro Day On Friday
Hunter Feduccia3 hours ago

Recalled From Triple-A
Chase Dollander3 hours ago

To Make MLB Debut On Sunday Against A's
Cade Cunningham3 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Friday's Game
Tyler Stuart3 hours ago

Promoted To Triple-A
Pascal Siakam4 hours ago

Iffy For Matchup With Jazz
Elias Díaz4 hours ago

Elias Diaz Hits The Bench On Friday
Gavin Sheets4 hours ago

Out Again Against Lefty
Aaron Nesmith4 hours ago

Could Miss Friday's Action
Michael Soroka4 hours ago

Heading To Injured List
Bennedict Mathurin4 hours ago

Questionable On Friday Against Jazz
Anthony Rizzo4 hours ago

Is Healthy And Wants To Play In 2025
St. Louis Cardinals4 hours ago

Chen-Wei Lin Dealing With Undisclosed Injury
Kenyon Martin Jr.4 hours ago

Ruled Out Friday With Illness
Josh Emmett4 hours ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 105
Dallas Cowboys5 hours ago

Cowboys Still Searching For Their Lead Running Back
Lerone Murphy5 hours ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 105
Pat Sabatini5 hours ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Seth Curry5 hours ago

Listed As Probable Friday
Joanderson Brito5 hours ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Mark Williams5 hours ago

Likely To Play On Friday
Cortavious Romious5 hours ago

Looks For His First UFC Win
ChangHo Lee6 hours ago

Looks For His Second UFC Win
Brad Tavares6 hours ago

Set For Middleweight Bout
Gerald Meerschaert7 hours ago

Set For His 23rd UFC Bout
Luis Gurule7 hours ago

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Ode' Osbourne7 hours ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Robert Valentin7 hours ago

Set To Open Up UFC Vegas 105 Main Card
Torrez Finney7 hours ago

Set For UFC Debut
Dustin Wolf10 hours ago

Snaps Skid On Thursday
Wyatt Johnston10 hours ago

Scores In Sixth Straight Game
Linus Ullmark10 hours ago

Stops 31 Shots In Victory
Nick Suzuki10 hours ago

Has Goal, Assist On Thursday
Leon Draisaitl10 hours ago

Can Not Finish Thursday's Contest
John Gibson10 hours ago

Exits Early On Thursday
Nikola Jokić19 hours ago

Nikola Jokic Expected To Play On Friday
Jonathan Kuminga19 hours ago

Back On Thursday Night
Miles Boykin21 hours ago

Heading To Chicago
Jalen Wilson21 hours ago

Sidelined On Thursday
Baker Mayfield21 hours ago

Tampa Bay Restructures Baker Mayfield's Deal
Case Keenum22 hours ago

Chicago Signs Case Keenum To One-Year Deal
Kyshawn George22 hours ago

Unavailable For Thursday
Richaun Holmes22 hours ago

Out Versus Magic
Khris Middleton22 hours ago

Out Again Thursday Versus Magic
D'Angelo Russell22 hours ago

Good To Go On Thursday
Noah Clowney22 hours ago

Done For Rest Of The Season
Jordan Poole22 hours ago

Unavailable For Thursday
Scottie Barnes23 hours ago

Available On Thursday
Jonathan Drouin23 hours ago

Martin Necas, Jonathan Drouin Unavailable Thursday
Tyrese Maxey23 hours ago

Expected To Miss Rest Of Season
Alexandar Georgiev23 hours ago

Nursing An Upper-Body Injury
Henry Thrun23 hours ago

Returns From Nine-Game Absence Thursday
Olli Määttä23 hours ago

Olli Maatta Returns To Utah Lineup Thursday
Dylan Guenther23 hours ago

Ready To Go Thursday
Anthony Duclair23 hours ago

Takes Leave Of Absence
Alex Pietrangelo23 hours ago

On Track To Return Thursday
Brady Tkachuk24 hours ago

Out On Thursday
Trey McBride1 day ago

Cardinals Making Trey McBride The Highest-Paid Tight End In NFL History
Geno Smith1 day ago

Raiders, Geno Smith Agree To Two-Year Extension
1 day ago

Tyler Shough Could Be Day 2 Pick In NFL Draft
Dallas Cowboys1 day ago

Shemar Stewart Meeting With Cowboys Staff
New York Giants1 day ago

Travis Hunter The Likely Pick For Giants?
Dallas Cowboys1 day ago

DeMarvion Overshown Aiming For Comeback Player Of The Year Award
Washington Commanders1 day ago

Commanders Sign T.J. Maguranyanga
Kansas City Chiefs1 day ago

Mike Edwards Reunites With Chiefs
New Orleans Saints1 day ago

Saints Could Take A Quarterback Early In The Draft
Joe Milton III1 day ago

Traded To Cowboys
Anfernee Simons1 day ago

Could Be Absent Again Thursday
Scoot Henderson1 day ago

Misses Third Consecutive Game Thursday
Scottie Barnes1 day ago

Iffy For Thursday
Jared McCann1 day ago

Tallies Three Helpers On Wednesday
Jackson Blake1 day ago

Scores Twice In Victory
Artemi Panarin1 day ago

Tallies Three Points In Overtime Victory
Andrei Svechnikov1 day ago

Exits Early On Wednesday
Jake McCabe1 day ago

Suffers Injury On Wednesday
Jonathan Drouin1 day ago

Exits Wednesday's Contest
Los Angeles Chargers2 days ago

Chargers Sign Tight End Jordan Petaia
2 days ago

Matthew Golden Making Pre-Draft Visit To Steelers
Cincinnati Bengals2 days ago

Trey Hendrickson Not Looking For Short-Term Deal
Tutu Atwell2 days ago

Rams Plan To Give Tutu Atwell A Bigger Role In 2025
Tampa Bay Buccaneers2 days ago

Bucs Restructure Antoine Winfield's Deal To Free Up Cap Space
Evgeni Malkin2 days ago

Joins Penguins For Road Trip
Cameron Young3 days ago

A Player To Avoid At Valero Texas Open
Kurt Kitayama3 days ago

In Search Of Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Si Woo Kim3 days ago

Looking To Bounce Back At Valero Texas Open
Tom Hoge3 days ago

Looking To Build Off Strong Performance At The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick3 days ago

Looking For Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Corey Conners3 days ago

Continues Strong Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Patrick Cantlay3 days ago

Eyeing Victory At Valero Texas Open
Gary Woodland3 days ago

Showing Great Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia3 days ago

Aiming For Repeat At Valero Texas Open
Alejandro Tosti3 days ago

A Volatile Choice At TPC San Antonio
Jordan Spieth3 days ago

Needs To Find Consistency At TPC San Antonio
Jake Knapp3 days ago

Making First Appearance At Valero Texas Open
Michael Kim3 days ago

Looking To Find The Magic Again In San Antonio
Tommy Fleetwood3 days ago

Is Nearly A Must-Play At Valero Texas Open
Tony Finau3 days ago

Hoping For Better Approach Play In San Antonio
Eric Cole3 days ago

Trending In Right Direction Ahead Of Valero
Sam Stevens4 days ago

Enjoys Nice Result In Houston
PGA4 days ago

J.T. Poston Seeks To Contend At Valero Texas Open
Denny McCarthy4 days ago

Keeps Making Cuts But Needs To Make More Putts
Brian Harman4 days ago

Off To A Subpar 2025 So Far
Ryan Preece4 days ago

Has Three Straight Top-10 Finishes For First Time In His Career
NASCAR4 days ago

Bubba Wallace After Third-Place Finish At Martinsville: "What a Great Day"
Todd Gilliland4 days ago

Has Mistake-Free Day At Martinsville, Grabs Another Top-10 Finish
Brandon Moreno4 days ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Steve Erceg4 days ago

Losses Third Consecutive Fight
Drew Dober4 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres4 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Harry Hall4 days ago

Bounces Back In Houston Last Week
CJ Vergara4 days ago

Gets Submitted
Édgar Cháirez4 days ago

Edgar Chairez Gets Submission Win At UFC Mexico City
Vince Morales4 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Raul Rosas Jr.4 days ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Mexico City
Saimon Oliveira4 days ago

Still Winless In The UFC
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Powers His Way To A Second-Place Finish At Martinsville
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Strong Martinsville Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Collects A Top-Five Finish At Martinsville
William Byron4 days ago

Places 22nd After Struggles At Martinsville
Joey Logano4 days ago

Claims His First 2025 Top-10 Finish After Up-And-Down Performance
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Fails To Place In The Top 10 At Martinsville
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Silences Doubters After Crew-Chief Change
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Earns Best 2025 Finish At Martinsville Despite Failing Cool Suit
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Has A Great Day At Martinsville
Chase Briscoe4 days ago

Has Solid Run At Martinsville
Erik Jones4 days ago

Disqualified At Martinsville For Weight Violation
Josh Berry5 days ago

Has Top-10 Upside At Martinsville
Joey Logano5 days ago

Don't Overlook Joey Logano This Weekend
Ryan Preece5 days ago

Could Get First Three-Race Top-10 Streak Of His Career
Chase Elliott5 days ago

Looking To Continue Great Runs At Martinsville
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Wins Pole At Martinsville, But Can He Stay Up There?
Ryan Blaney5 days ago

Fast In Practice But Skeptical About Car
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

New Crew Chief Has Terrible Martinsville Record