RADIO
The Arizona Cardinals cashed in the first pick in the 2019 draft for a franchise quarterback in former Oklahoma Sooner Kyler Murray. That didn’t pay off in a huge way immediately, as 2019 was a transition year for Arizona (5-10-1) under a rookie QB and new head coach in Kliff Kingsbury. In addition, the team was playing in arguably the toughest division in football, the NFC West.
With one year of NFL experience under their belts, the new tandem of Murray and Kingsbury hopes to elevate things up a notch this season in the desert. Strengthening their case is the presence of elite wideout DeAndre Hopkins, who was acquired from the Houston Texans in March for not much capital on Arizona’s behalf.
It will certainly be a challenge to compete in this tough division in 2020, but the Cardinals continue to remain on the right path to success through having more talented players and Kyler Murray leading the charge on this Air Raid offense. Let’s breakdown the fantasy values of Cardinals players.
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Quarterback
Despite some growing pains as a rookie, 22-year-old Kyler Murray had a decent rookie season in 2019. The Texas native stockpiled 3,722 pass yards, 20 pass touchdowns, 12 picks, 6.9 pass yards per attempt, 232.6 pass yards per game, an 87.4 quarterback rating, 544 rush yards, and four rush touchdowns in 16 games. He also had 92 bad throws and a 17.9 percent poor throws per pass attempt rate.
The Oklahoma product finished seventh among fantasy QBs in his rookie year. He also ranked 15th in pass yards among NFL QBs, along with 21st in touchdowns, 13th in picks, 22nd in pass yards per attempt, 24th in pass yards per game, and 21st in quarterback rating. The QB was notably second in rush yards among NFL QBs and seventh in rush touchdowns.
What’s amazing is that Murray finished seventh among fantasy QBs with relatively mediocre overall stats. This is in addition to the fact that he was ninth in the number of bad throws, tied for first in sacks (48), and ranked sixth in hurries (63).
The Cardinals offense is now strengthened by the addition of DeAndre Hopkins along with Murray having one year of NFL experience (in which he performed terrifically in fantasy). This bodes well for his fantasy value heading into 2020. Because he offers value through both his rushing and passing abilities, Kyler Murray is a solid QB1 in redraft.
Running Back
The RB1 on this team is former Dolphin Kenyan Drake and the backup is Chase Edmonds. Drake arrived at the desert midseason last year after being shipped from South Beach in a trade.
In eight games with the Cardinals last season, the Georgia native compiled 123 rushes, 643 rush yards, eight rush touchdowns, 5.2 rush yards per attempt, 80.4 rush yards per game, 28 receptions, and 171 receiving yards. The Alabama product also had two rush yards after contact per rush and eight broken tackles. In 14 total games last season, Drake had 170 rush attempts, 817 rush yards, eight rush touchdowns, 50 receptions, and 345 receiving yards. He finished 18th in fantasy.
As the RB1 on the team last season, Drake flashed incredible potential compared to his overall tenure with Miami. Consider the 26-year-old a solid RB1 in redraft leagues of 10-12 teams for 2020.
2018 pick Chase Edmonds is the backup RB on this team. In 13 games last season, the 24-year-old had 303 rush yards, four rush touchdowns, 5.1 rush yards per attempt, 23.3 rush yards per game, 12 receptions, 105 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown. The Fordham product recorded similar stats to his rookie year in his sophomore season and finished 52nd in fantasy. Consider him only a flex piece in redraft since his role will be small due to the presence of Drake.
Wide Receiver
The Cardinals now have a bona fide WR1 in former Texan DeAndre Hopkins. They also bring back the always-reliable Larry Fitzgerald and now third-year receiver Christian Kirk. Together, the Cards have a solid receiving corp that could help Kyler Murray thrive even more in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense.
It was just another casual, elite year for Hopkins in his final season with Houston last year. The Clemson product notched 104 receptions, 150/534 targets (28.1%), 1,165 yards, 11.2 yards per catch, seven touchdowns, and 77.7 yards per game in 15 games. The 28-year-old did not record any career-highs in 2019 because of how truly remarkable his seven-year NFL career has been.
The 2013-pick ranked fifth in targets, tied for second in receptions, fourth in targets per game (10), 10th in receiving yards, and eighth in receiving yards per game among NFL wideouts. The South Carolina native finished ninth among fantasy receivers, which is not surprising at all. Hopkins may have been traded, but his role has not changed, and he is a “set it and forget it” WR1 for fantasy this year. Consider him nothing short of a top-five or top-seven fantasy WR in redraft.
No matter his age, veteran Larry Fitzgerald has never let his QB down, and can always be a safety blanket when needed. Without Hopkins on the team last season, the Pitt product paced the receiving corp in targets, receptions, and yards. The 36-year-old had 75 receptions, 109/554 targets (19.7%), 804 yards, 10.7 yards per catch, and four touchdowns in 16 games.
What makes Fitzgerald so reliable is he has played all 16 games in 13 of his 16 NFL seasons. The Minnesota native finished 42nd among fantasy wideouts last season. Though he may not be putting up elite numbers anymore, Fitzgerald is still a proven fantasy commodity. Nevertheless, the veteran will now have a smaller role due to the presence of Hopkins, so only consider him a flex option in deep redraft leagues.
23-year-old Christian Kirk will now play an integral role in this offense as he continues to gain NFL experience. The Texas A&M product had an impressive sophomore season in 2019, grabbing 68 receptions, 107/554 targets (19.3%), 709 yards, 10.4 yards per catch, and three touchdowns in 13 games. The 2018 pick finished 46th among fantasy wideouts, only four spots behind teammate Fitzgerald as both had similar stats. The youngster’s role should increase this season, so he does offer more fantasy value than the aging Fitzgerald. Consider Kirk a WR3 in 10-12 team redraft leagues.
Tight End
The Cardinals do not have a strong tight ends unit. It is led by 2015 draft pick Maxx Williams. The 26-year-old played his first season with Arizona in 2019 after playing three with the Baltimore Ravens. He accumulated 15 receptions, 19/554 targets (3.4%), 202 yards, 13.5 yards per catch, and one touchdown in 16 games. That was good for a 48th place finish among fantasy tight ends. No other tight end on this unit had a better 2019 season than Williams, so it’s wise to avoid this entire unit in 2020 fantasy drafts, especially considering the Air Raid doesn't favor the position.
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