1 month agoThe panic surrounding Arizona Cardinals rookie wide receiver
Marvin Harrison Jr.'s debut was stifled by a monster performance in the second week of his NFL career. After logging just one catch for four yards in Week 1, Harrison caught four balls for a team-high 130 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams. Harrison's first score came four minutes into the game as he brought in a 23-yard pass while falling out the back of the end zone. His second touchdown came on a 60-yard catch-and-run on the first play of the Cardinals' next drive. In the days following the rookie's unimpressive debut, offensive coordinator Drew Petzing acknowledged the importance of getting the ball to the fourth-overall pick of the 2024 Draft. The team targeted Harrison early and often, with Harrison seeing six of his team-leading eight targets in the first half. Harrison is shaping up to be a strong WR2 candidate when Arizona plays the Detroit Lions in Week 3.
--Dan Stephens - RotoBallerSource: NFL.com
1 month agoArizona Cardinals running back
James Conner took 21 carries for 122 rushing yards and a touchdown in the team's 41-10 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. He also caught his lone target of the game for a gain of two yards. Conner did lose the ball on the Rams' five-yard line in the fourth quarter, but tight end
Trey McBride fell on top of it as it bounced ahead into the end zone to give the Cardinals their fifth touchdown of the game. The eighth-year veteran was as elusive as ever, forcing six missed tackles in the game. Thanks to the lopsided score, Conner ceded backfield duties to
Trey Benson and
Emari Demercado after his fumble but there is no question he is the top dog in Arizona's running backs room. In Week 3, Conner will be in the RB1 conversation again when the Cardinals take on the Detroit Lions.
--Dan Stephens - RotoBallerSource: NFL.com
1
month
agoArizona
Cardinals
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Kyler
Murray
went
off
against
the
Los
Angeles
Rams
on
Sunday,
completing
17
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his
21
passes
for
266
yards,
three
touchdowns,
and
no
interceptions.
No
stranger
to
the
ground
game,
he
also
added
59
yards
on
five
carries
in
the
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1 month agoThe Arizona Cardinals recorded two sacks and recovered a fumble in Week 1, but it was
DeeJay Dallas' 96-yard kick return touchdown that pushed them to a surprising top-10 finish in fantasy points scored despite giving up 34 points to the Buffalo Bills. In Week 2, the Cardinals play their home opener against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams. The Rams' offensive line has been hit hard by injuries, and against any other team, they might make for an enticing streaming option. However, Arizona had one of the worst pressure rates in the league last week, getting to
Josh Allen just eight times. Unless the Cardinals' pass rush can take advantage of their opponent's personnel issues, they will have a hard time containing the Rams' offense, led by the dynamic duo of
Matthew Stafford and
Cooper Kupp. Forget about Arizona's D/ST in Week 2, as nearly any other team would make for a more promising option.
--Dan Stephens - RotoBallerSource: RotoBaller
1 month agoWeek 1 of the 2024 season saw several kickers put up extraordinary amounts of points. Five kickers had multiple field goals from 50+ yards out, three of them also hitting two tries from the 40-49-yard range. Nine other kickers also made good from 50 yards or more. Unfortunately,
Matt Prater was not one of them. The 40-year-old veteran did convert all of his attempts though, netting field goals from 29 and 31 yards out and banging home two extra points. In Week 2, the Cardinals host the Rams in their home opener in what is expected to be one of the highest-scoring games of the week. Prater may not have had a chance to kick from distance in the season opener but he has a strong leg and the benefit of playing in a dome in Week 2. Fantasy managers looking for a solution at kicker can fire up Prater on Sunday without worry.
--Dan Stephens - RotoBallerSource: RotoBaller
1 month agoArizona Cardinals wide receiver
Michael Wilson scored the team's first points of the 2024 season last week against the Bills. Unfortunately, the second-year receiver's five-yard touchdown catch was his only reception of the game and he finished with just one other target. Fellow wide receiver
Greg Dortch and tight end
Trey McBride were
Kyler Murray's favorite targets last week and he is likely to go back to the well again in Week 2.
Marvin Harrison Jr. disappointed fantasy managers with a one-catch game of his own in the season opener but offensive coordinator Drew Petzing has said that he intends to get the rookie more involved. In other words, Wilson is not a priority target in the Cardinals' pass game and won't be a reliable source of fantasy points in Week 2. Keep him on the bench in all but the deepest of leagues.
--Dan Stephens - RotoBallerSource: RotoBaller
1 month agoArizona Cardinals running back
Trey Benson had as quiet of a debut as they come in the team's season opener last week against the Bills. The third-round pick out of Florida State saw just three rushing attempts to
James Conner's 16. Benson gained 13 yards on the ground and caught one pass for another five yards. The rookie didn't take the field until the Cardinals' third drive and was outsnapped by fellow backup
Emari Demercado, 14 to eight. Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing referred to Conner as the team's "bell cow" in comments to the media ahead of Week 1 and there's little reason to believe they will move away from him in Week 2. Benson is still worth stashing in case the injury bug bites or the team starts utilizing their backs differently, but he should be on fantasy benches on Sunday against the Rams.
--Dan Stephens - RotoBallerSource: RotoBaller
1 month agoTight ends league-wide disappointed in Week 1. As it was,
Trey McBride's eight points in half-PPR leagues were still good for a top-10 finish at the position. While his production (five catches for 30 yards) fell short of expectations, fantasy managers found a silver lining in McBride's utilization. The Cardinals deployed their star tight end on 85% of snaps and he led the team with a 29% target share against the Buffalo Bills last week. In Week 2, Arizona plays the Los Angeles Rams, who give up the fifth-most fantasy points to tight ends in 2023. McBride is a priority target in the Cardinals' passing attack and should enjoy a more productive game. The 24-year-old is already one of the top options at tight end and should be locked into starting lineups. McBride will be a top-12 tight end in Week 2, and given his usage in Arizona's offense, could find himself at the top by the end of the week.
--Dan Stephens - RotoBallerSource: RotoBaller
1 month agoBuzz around Arizona Cardinals slot receiver
Greg Dortch has been building for weeks. Dortch demonstrated great route running and chemistry with
Kyler Murray during preseason training camps and in Week 1 had a 26% target share even though he was on the field for just 62% of offensive snaps. In Week 2, the Cardinals host the Los Angeles Rams, who themselves held
Amon-Ra St. Brown to three catches and 13 yards out of the slot last week. The 2023 All-Pro's reputation demanded more attention than Dortch will likely see, but the Rams' ability to shut down the position shouldn't be overlooked. A repeat of Dortch's modest week 1 performance isn't out of the question and would still make him a solid flex play, especially in deeper leagues, but managers counting on a boom game are better off waiting another week.
--Dan Stephens - RotoBallerSource: RotoBaller
1 month agoArizona Cardinals wide receiver
Marvin Harrison Jr. had a dud of a debut against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1. The fourth overall pick of the NFL draft had just one catch for four yards and wasn't targeted at all in the second half of that game. While the performance was alarming for fantasy managers who paid up to get the vaunted rookie near his ADP of 15, there is hope for improvement in Week 2. Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing admitted earlier this week that the team needs to prioritize getting the rookie more involved going forward. Harrison will again line up on the outside against a Rams secondary that allowed 121 receiving yards to
Jameson Williams last Sunday. The former Buckeye can be started against the Rams with tempered expectations. He projects as a WR2 in Week 2.
--Dan Stephens - RotoBallerSource: RotoBaller
1 month agoArizona Cardinals running back
James Conner put up 83 yards from scrimmage and found the end zone in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills. He will look to do more of the same on Sunday in the Cardinals' home opener against the Los Angeles Rams. Fears that he might lose work to rookie
Trey Benson were assuaged last week as Conner handled 16 of Arizona's 20 handoffs and was on the field for 67% of offensive snaps compared to Benson's 13% share. The Rams had one of the toughest run defenses in the league in 2023 but no longer have Aaron Donald anchoring their line. In Week 1, they gave up 131 yards and two touchdowns on the ground to the Lions. Conner should be locked into fantasy lineups this week and can be expected to put up another RB1 performance.
--Dan Stephens - RotoBallerSource: RotoBaller
1 month agoArizona Cardinals wide receiver
Xavier Weaver (oblique) is officially questionable ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. The undrafted rookie wideout is still looking to make his NFL debut, and he has a chance to do so this week after logging three straight limited practice sessions. Weaver performed well in Arizona's preseason finale, reeling in 2-of-4 targets for 56 yards. He also handled two punt and kickoff returns for an additional 81 yards. The Colorado product projects to have difficulty finding consistent playing time in the starting WR rotation behind Marvin Harrison Jr,
Michael Wilson, and
Greg Dortch -- even when healthy. However, he is someone to monitor regarding his usage on kick returns. If Weaver can gain consistency there, he could be helpful for fantasy managers. Otherwise, he can be safely avoided sans deep dynasty leagues.
--Alex CiullaSource: Zach Gershman
1 month agoArizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said that the knee is not a concern for quarterback
Kyler Murray (knee), calling him "all good" for the Week 2 contest against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams. Murray found himself on the Cardinals' Week 2 injury report but has practiced in full all week and is not in any danger of missing this weekend's game. It's surely something to watch moving forward, though, especially for a QB like Murray who relies on his legs often. The 27-year-old was inconsistent in the Week 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills and wasn't on the same page with high-profile rookie receiver
Marvin Harrison Jr., connecting with him just once for four yards. Murray finished 21-for-31 passing for 162 yards and a touchdown and also had five carries for 57 yards with a lost fumble. He'll look to bounce back in Week 2, where he'll be a midrange QB1 play for fantasy managers.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: AZCardinals.com - Darren Urban
1 month agoArizona Cardinals rookie first-round wide receiver
Marvin Harrison Jr. saw only three targets and caught one of them for four yards in his NFL debut in the Week 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Head coach Jonathan Gannon said that Harrison attracted extra coverage from the Bills defense. "As a quarterback, obviously, you're going through your reads," quarterback
Kyler Murray said. "Sometimes the ball goes to him, but that's not my job. I have a sense and a feel for guys when they don't get the ball and when they are getting the ball, but I leave that up to Drew. He tells me, 'Don't worry about that type of stuff. Just keep playing your game and get the ball to where the ball is supposed to go.'" Harrison's quiet day could have been a combination of all those things, and Murray mentioned himself he thinks he and Harrison will eventually get on the same page. Going into Week 2, treat Harrison as a high-end WR2 in fantasy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: GoPHNX.com - Craig Morgan
1 month agoThe Arizona Cardinals will place offensive tackle Jonah Williams (knee) on the Injured Reserve, which will force him to miss at least the next four games, according to head coach Jonathan Gannon. The head coach said he does not know yet if Williams will require surgery for the knee injury that he suffered in the Week 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills. It's bad news for the Cardinals offense after the team brought the 26-year-old offensive lineman in during the offseason to help bolster their O-line. If Williams requires surgery, there's a possibility that he'll need to miss more than four games for the Cardinals. In the meantime, expect Kelvin Beachum to step in on the right side of Arizona's offensive line and start at right tackle, beginning in Week 2 against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Arizona Republic - Theo Mackie
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