January 3, 2026
Arizona Cardinals running back
Michael Carter has operated as the starter for the last two weeks, but has delivered disappointing results, scoring just 6.5 and 6.3 PPR points. With
Bam Knight (ankle) going down for the season in Week 15, Carter was expected to handle the lion's share of the work in Arizona's backfield. However, he's played just 49.1% of the snaps and handled 20 touches, with
Emari Demercado mixing in with a 40.9% snap share and 12 touches. Arizona's offense hasn't been as exciting in recent weeks with
Jacoby Brissett under center, and now they head on the road to face a Rams team that they scored just 17 points against back in Week 14. Carter projects as a decent RB3 option for the regular season finale.
--Kyle McCarthySource: Pro Football Reference
January 3, 2026
Despite losing 13 of their last 14 games, the general sense is that Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon will return in 2026, according to NFL Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. Gannon spoke this past week and said that he felt "good" about his job status. The 42-year-old head coach will likely receive another year and the opportunity to select a new quarterback to lead the team, with the general expectation being that Arizona will move on from
Kyler Murray in the offseason. Gannon hasn't achieved a winning record in his three seasons as head coach in Arizona, owning a 15-35 record. He was hired after the Eagles' 2023 Super Bowl run, where he spent two seasons as their defensive coordinator. However, Gannon's defenses in Arizona have been at the bottom of the league since being hired, ranking 32nd in success rate over the past three seasons combined. If Gannon stays, there may be changes coming to the staff after another disappointing year.
--Kyle McCarthySource: NFL.com
January 3, 2026
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver
Michael Wilson should reassume his WR1 production against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18, with fellow wide receiver
Marvin Harrison Jr. (heel) placed on IR after Week 17. In the four games without Harrison Jr. in the latter half of the 2025 season, Wilson hauled in 41 of his 60 targets for 499 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 27.2 fantasy points per game. When the Cardinals faced the Rams in Week 14, Wilson had his best fantasy game of the season, racking up 37 PPR points from his 11 receptions off 16 targets for 142 yards and two touchdowns. Since that Week 14 tilt, the Rams' pass defense is a top-five matchup for opposing wide receivers. Wilson is a top-10 wide receiver with high upside for fantasy managers playing in Week 18, especially in PPR formats, or those looking for a reliable DFS option to close out the regular season.
--Matt McCauleySource: ESPN
January 2, 2026
Arizona Cardinals running back
Michael Carter disappointed fantasy managers in Week 17 with only seven carries for 29 yards (4.1 YPC) in Sunday's 37-14 blowout loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Carter also added two catches for 14 yards on four targets. In a smash match-up, Carter and the Cardinals' offense came out flat. The Cardinals couldn't get anything going on the ground, as
Emari Demercado also only had five rushes for 11 yards (2.2 YPC). Since seeing 80 percent of the snaps in Week 15 against Houston, Carter has only played 48 percent of the snaps over the past two games, which is not what Carter's fantasy managers were hoping for when they picked him up off the waivers after
Bam Knight (ankle) got hurt. At this point, the Cardinals' running game is too hard to trust; they find themselves in pass-happy game scripts, and Carter is splitting work with Demercado. With a much tougher matchup in Week 18 against the Los Angeles Rams, Carter will be no better than a touchdown-dependent RB3.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: RotoBaller
December 31, 2025
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver
Marvin Harrison Jr. (foot) has been ruled out for the Week 18 regular-season finale this Sunday against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams, according to head coach Jonathan Gannon. Harrison suffered a new foot injury in the Week 17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and failed to catch his only target before leaving. It's a fitting way for the 23-year-old's disappointing second season in the NFL to end in 2025. Through his first two seasons in the league, Harrison has not lived up to his lofty billing as the fourth overall pick out of Ohio State. In 12 games this season, he caught 41 of his 73 targets for 608 yards and four touchdowns after posting a 62-885-8 line in 17 games in his rookie campaign. Harrison's long-term outlook is cloudy, too, with the Cardinals potentially moving on from quarterback
Kyler Murray this offseason. With Harrison missing another game this weekend,
Michael Wilson and tight end
Trey McBride should continue to be target hogs in Arizona's offense.
--Keith HernandezSource: Arizona Sports - Tyler Drake
December 30, 2025
ESPN's Josh Weinfuss writes that there's an outside chance that if both head coach Jonathan Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort are fired, the new regime will decide to run it back with Arizona Cardinals quarterback
Kyler Murray (foot). If the Cardinals decide to move on from Murray, who didn't play at all in 2025 after spraining his foot back in Week 5, they will likely bring veteran
Jacoby Brissett back on the second year of his two-year deal while drafting a signal-caller. The Cardinals should be able to pick one of three young QBs in next year's draft among Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, Oregon's Dante Moore, or Alabama's Ty Simpson. The Cardinals have taken a liking to the 6-foot-2 Simpson, who is known as a pocket passer. But if Arizona decides to trade down in the first round or wait until the second round to take a QB, they could look at Miami's
Carson Beck or LSU's Garrett Nussmeier.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Josh Weinfuss
December 29, 2025
Arizona Cardinals running back
Emari Demercado had five carries for 11 yards in Sunday's 37-14 blowout loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17. Demercado also had two catches for nine yards on three targets. The 26-year-old had another quiet performance despite playing in a favorable matchup on Sunday. Heading into Week 17, the Bengals' defense had surrendered the most fantasy points to running backs this season. Demercado has not been the same fantasy running back since returning from his ankle injury and has played a supporting role in the Cardinals' backfield to
Michael Carter. Going into Week 18, Demercado and the Cardinals offense will look to end the season on a high note against the Los Angeles Rams.
--Wyatt McClintockSource: ESPN
December 29, 2025
Arizona Cardinals running back
Michael Carter had seven carries for 29 yards in Sunday's 37-14 blowout loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17. Carter also had two catches for 14 yards on four targets. The 26-year-old has been the lead running back in the Cardinals' backfield after the team has seen season-ending injuries to
James Conner (foot),
Trey Benson (knee), and
Bam Knight (ankle). However, Carter had under 50 total scrimmage yards in the perfect fantasy matchup. Heading into Sunday, the Bengals' defense had allowed the most fantasy points to running backs this season. Carter and the Cardinals' offense will look to bounce back in Week 18 against the Los Angeles Rams to close the regular season.
--Wyatt McClintockSource: ESPN
December 29, 2025
Arizona Cardinals quarterback
Jacoby Brissett went 21-for-37 for 212 yards with two touchdowns in his team's 37-14 Week 17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Arizona's pass-happy offense stalled despite going against a bottom-tier pass defense. Brissett threw for under 215 yards and finished outside of QB1 territory for a second straight week, marking the first time since taking over the offense. From Week 6 to Week 15, Brissett was the QB3 overall in all fantasy football and averaged 21.2 fantasy points per game. The 33-year-old veteran has averaged 14.05 fantasy points over his last two games. Brissett seems to have found himself in a valley with his play during the fantasy football playoffs, but he will look to climb out of it in Week 18 against the Los Angeles Rams.
--Wyatt McClintockSource: ESPN
December 29, 2025
Arizona Cardinals running back
Emari Demercado hasn't really been a realistic starting option for fantasy managers this year, even in a banged-up Cardinals backfield. Through 12 games in 2025, Demercado has 42 rushing attempts for 283 yards (6.7 yards per tote) while adding 12 catches for 73 yards and one touchdown on 19 targets. The 26-year-old played only seven snaps in Week 15 in his return from injury against the Houston Texans, but he's been more involved the last two weeks, carrying the ball five times apiece the last two games. Demercado outsnapped lead back
Michael Carter in Sunday's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and finished with five carries for 11 yards while catching two of his three targets for nine yards. It wasn't much to look at, but with fewer options available to fantasy managers in Week 18, Demercado could be a sneaky deep-league PPR flex play as a pass-catcher in a matchup against the Rams that should feature plenty of positive game script for the Cardinals to use Demercado as a receiver.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com
December 29, 2025
Although Arizona Cardinals running back
Michael Carter doesn't have a high fantasy ceiling, he's still the team's lead back for the final week of the regular season for a divisional matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. In the Week 17 loss on the road to the Cincinnati Bengals, Carter was held in check, picking up only 29 yards on the ground on seven rushing attempts. The 26-year-old added two receptions on four targets for 14 yards. He was outsnapped by backfield mate
Emari Demercado, but Carter had two more touches. It was a disappointing performance for Carter in a plus matchup against a bad Bengals defense, but with the Cardinals falling behind by multiple scores early, they weren't really able to keep using Carter as a runner. On the bright side, Carter has 208 rushing yards and 4.6 yards per carry in the last six games, and he's had double-digit carries in two of the last three games. He'll be in play as an RB3/flex in deeper fantasy leagues this weekend against L.A.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com
December 29, 2025
Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said on Monday that wide receiver
Marvin Harrison Jr. (foot) suffered a new foot injury in Sunday's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Harrison missed Weeks 14 and 15 due to a heel injury that was on the opposite foot of the one he injured in Week 17. Gannon said that Harrison will play in the Week 18 regular-season finale this Sunday against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams "if he is healthy enough to play." Given all of the 23-year-old's injuries this year and the fact that the Cardinals have nothing to play for, fantasy managers still playing for a championship this week shouldn't be holding their breath for Harrison. Even if Harrison ends up suiting up, he probably won't be on the field all that much as the No. 3 target behind
Michael Wilson and star tight end
Trey McBride.
--Keith HernandezSource: AZCardinals.com - Darren Urban
December 28, 2025
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver
Michael Wilson caught five of his 10 targets for 89 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's Week 17 loss against the Cincinnati Bengals. He capitalized on a larger volume share with teammate
Marvin Harrison Jr. (heel) playing just one-third of the offensive snaps before exiting the game entirely. Operating as the top wide receiver in Arizona's offense, Wilson extended his touchdown streak to four games. He has posted at least 13 full-PPR fantasy points in each of those four weeks, and he ranks as the overall WR3 during that span. Harrison's return is far from guaranteed in Week 18, but even if the former first-round pick does face the Los Angeles Rams, Wilson should still serve as Arizona's No. 1 wide receiver and one of
Jacoby Brissett's favorite targets. He ranks as a top-12 fantasy receiver heading into Week 18.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
December 28, 2025
Arizona Cardinals tight end
Trey McBride caught 10 of his 13 targets for 76 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's Week 17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. McBride continues to be the top-scoring tight end in fantasy football this season, and he widened the gap between himself and the rest of the tight end position on Sunday afternoon. Along the way, he also set a new NFL record for most catches by a tight end in a single season. It's safe to say that McBride is the best and most dependable tight end in the league. He should continue to be deployed as a high-end TE1 in a pass-heavy game approach against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18. He also figures to be the first tight end off the board (and a potential first-round pick) in 2026 fantasy football drafts.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
December 28, 2025
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver
Marvin Harrison Jr. (heel) exited during the second half of Sunday's Week 17 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals. He was listed as questionable to return but did not check back into the game before the clock hit triple zeroes. The second-year receiver entered this week with a lingering heel injury, so it appears that he re-aggravated the existing ailment. Harrison had a disappointing performance with zero catches on one target. He has handled a reduced workload while injured, catching just one pass on four targets over his last two games. With the Cardinals eliminated from the playoff hunt, they could consider making Harrison inactive for Week 18. Managers should check back for updates in the days leading up to next week's contest.
--Andersen PickardSource: Arizona Cardinals
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