👉 TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE SPRING
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


2016 Fantasy Football ADP Analysis - Larry Fitzgerald vs. Michael Floyd vs. John Brown

It's never too early to start preparing for your fantasy football drafts, and RotoBaller is here to help. In this series, two RotoBaller experts will discuss the merits of players with similar value and average draft position (ADP). Remember that situations will change for all players over the course of the preseason and it may impact where they are selected in drafts.

Oh hot damn, it's a three-fer. This article comes from RotoBaller featured columnists Bill Dubiel (@Roto_Dubs), Ben Ruppert (@Ben_Ruppert_21)and Nick Mariano (@NMariano23). Bill will defend big-game specialist John Brown while Ben defends future Hall-of-Famer Larry Fitzgerald, and Nick tells you why you should draft Michael Floyd.  Feel free to reach out to them with questions or opinions.

Editor's Note: Purchase a full season NFL Premium Pass (including Draft Kit + DFS Premium), and also get MLB Premium + DFS for free through October. Premium DFS lineup picks, expert lineups, tools and more - seven days a week. You can see screenshots of our NFL Premium and MLB Premium and DFS tools. What are you waiting for?

Editor's Note: The FFPC Baby Gorilla Tournament is now open, featuring a $100,000 grand prize and a $675,450 total prize pool! This 12-team, Tight End Premium contest uses a 20-round draft format, with the overall winners determined by total points scored during Weeks 15–17. Get $25 to use toward your first entry by signing up through our link. Grab your team now! Sign Up Now!

 

Michael Floyd (WR, ARI) - Nick Mariano

Floyd’s overall line of 52-849-6 isn’t going to wow anybody, until one remembers that he did that after losing much of the early season to a hand injury that left three of his fingers dislocated, prompting Larry Fitzgerald to say: “It’s one of those things you wish you hadn’t seen.” Gross. But it’s a new season now, and Floyd is not coming off of finger surgery, so here’s why you need him.

In his last 10 games of the season, Floyd turned in a 44-745-6 line where he either topped 70 yards or scored a touchdown in eight of those 10 games (100+ yards in five of them). The two games where he didn’t? One saw him be limited with a mild hamstring injury, and the other was a matchup with Richard Sherman (after burning SEA for 7-113-2 in Week 10, they locked onto him). No owner paying attention should’ve been burned by either of those games. Folks, Floyd exemplifies a player with both a high ceiling and a consistent floor to him.

Here are the current average ADPs for all three wide outs in standard formats: Floyd (57.7), Fitzgerald (58.8), Brown (74.2). Good on the wisdom of the crowd for recognizing that Floyd is the talent to snag first in a vacuum, but now many of you may be saying “why shouldn’t I just wait to get Brown a round or two later?”

Well, Brown only topped 100 yards twice on the season and operated fairly close to his “red-zone ceiling”, with six of his seven TDs coming from within 20 yards. I personally like how Floyd hauled in 4-of-6 TDs from outside of the red zone, meaning he may see a little uptick in red-zone TD regression while Brown’s range of outcomes may shave a TD or two off. It’s a small nitpick, but it’s worked out for me in the past.

So what about Larry? Those of you who owned him can probably tell you their biggest concern: the end-of-season fade. After beasting to open the season (while Floyd wasn’t there to absorb targets, ahem), Fitz only posted a 36-289-2 line over the last six games. He’ll be turning 33 on Aug. 31, and one has to truly wonder whether he can stay fresh throughout an entire season. With his ADP back-to-back with Floyd’s, give me the guy who is only 26 years old and entering his prime seasons.

Give. Me. Floyd!

 

Larry Fitzgerald (WR, ARI) - Ben Ruppert

People enjoy looking forward to youth and the future, but for this season the Arizona Cardinals best WR is still Larry Fitzgerald. Last season, Fitz was Arizona's top statistical receiver, hauling in 109 passes on 145 targets for 1,215 yards and nine scores. It was easily his best season in the past four years, partly due to his move to the slot at the beginning of last season. He finished as the #11 WR in standard scoring, and #7 in PPR leagues. Why after this high level of production is Fitz being drafted as the #30 and #28 receiver in standard and PPR leagues respectively this season?

Fitzgerald will enter the season at 33 years of age. Only he and Brandon Marshall are still going strong this late in their careers. According to ESPN, since 2010, only four receivers have had 1,000-yard seasons at the age of 32. Their names are Andre Johnson, Steve Smith, Reggie Wayne, and Larry Fitzgerald (Marshall was 31 last season, Fitzgerald will turn 33 on August 31st). Fitz may have lost a step, but you can take body strength with you much later into your career than speed. He attributes his success to lateral quickness (gaining separation), strong hands (helping to reel in inaccurate passes), and football intelligence (reading coverages). Fitz has a ridiculous workout routine that he learned from watching some of the best of all time, most notably Jerry Rice.

Starting quarterback Carson Palmer has plenty of options he can throw the ball to, but none of them can match Fitz in the middle of the field and out of the slot. He will be the team’s most consistent red-zone target (18 targets last season, led the team) based on his strengths: his route-running, football IQ, and his huge catch radius. He also had the highest catch rate on the team last season at 75%, better than John Brown’s 64% and Michael Floyd’s 58%. He had one recorded drop last season, giving him a 0.7%(!) drop rate. Floyd and Brown each had five drops, and have drop rates at 5.6% and 5% respectively.

Fitzgerald is still the top receiving option on the Cardinals, and he should be a steal on draft day one more time.

 

John Brown (WR, ARI) - Bill Dubiel

Through his first two seasons John Brown has become one of the deadlier deep threats in the NFL. As such, he's gained a reputation as a "boom-or-bust", and that narrative has his ADP a bit lower than his two fellow Arizona receivers. But when you look at the numbers you'll see that that's not necessarily the case--Brown is much more consistent than he gets credit for. Did you know that Floyd finished as a top-30 WR in nine separate games last year? Now you do. In fact, he never had a game where he disappeared completely, posting at least four catches for 45 yards or a touchdown in every game he played in.

It's no secret that Larry Fitzgerald dominated in the early part of the season with Michael Floyd banged up, and Brown also thrived in that time frame. He posted four or more catches in six of the first seven games, and averaged over 80 yards per game in that span (to be fair, a 196-yard performance in Week 6 skews that number up a bit, but the point remains). While his second half was slightly less impressive, he did notch four touchdowns over the last seven games, and finished the season with a 65-1,003-7 line. That's kind of bonkers for a third wide receiver, and here's the big thing--he's only getting better.

I don't buy Larry Fitzgerald for a second in 2016. He'll be 33 in less than a week, and I don't see how he stays relevant with the two younger receivers fully healthy. We saw the beginnings of his demise last season: he posted a remarkable 30-432-5 line in the first four games of the season, then a dreadful 18-168-2 line in the final four games. There is no way Carson Palmer continues to pepper him with targets, and as Fitz loses looks Brown and Floyd will pick them up--and Brown is cheaper.

As Fitzgerald's demise approaches, Brown and Floyd are both poised to become a dominant 1-2 combo, not unlike Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. Brown would be Cobb in that scenario, but is there anything wrong with that (last year notwithstanding)? I've got Brown pegged for 1,100 yards on 75 catches with six or seven TDs this year, making him a solid WR2.

Why pay for Floyd or Fitz when you can get this young dynamo later in the draft?
WHO WON? WHO DO YOU WANT TO SEE NEXT? TWEET @ROTOBALLER AND LET US KNOW!

 

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]


Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!


Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.




REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Gabriel Landeskog

Scores Only Avalanche Goal in Season-Ending Loss
Carter Hart

Finishes Series-Clincher With 20 Saves
Dylan Coghlan

Continues Unlikely Success Story
Cole Smith

Scores Series-Clincher Tuesday Night
Mark Stone

Nets Another Goal as Golden Knights Finish Off Avalanche
Ludvig Aberg

Looking to Exchange Momentum for a Victory in Fort Worth
Stephan Jaeger

Trending Upward as PGA Heads to Fort Worth
Max Homa

Comes off Awful Putting Performance at PGA Championship
Tony Finau

Faces Different Test at the Colonial
Robert MacIntyre

Seeks Better Beginning in Fort Worth
Tom Hoge

Ups and Downs Could Continue at Colonial
Brian Harman

Not Having the Best Golf Season in 2026
Austin Eckroat

Struggling Too Often Heading to Charles Schwab Challenge
Zach Bauchou

Tries to Keep Momentum Rolling at Colonial
Keegan Bradley

Looking to Rebound at Colonial
Tory Horton

Could Do Some Stuff "Toward the End of Spring"
Patrick Mahomes

Takes Part in First OTA Practice on Tuesday
Los Angeles Chargers

Derwin James Jr. Becomes Highest-Paid Safety for the Second Time in his Career
Chris Brooks

Emerging as Top Handcuff to Stash?
MarShawn Lloyd

Sees Short-Term Value Soar
Jared McCain

Moves into Starting Five
Boston Celtics

Joe Mazzulla Wins Coach of the Year
Jalen Williams

is Ruled Out for Game 5 on Tuesday
Bucky Irving

is Expected to be Ready for Training Camp
Zion Williamson

to See More Versatile Role
Parker Washington

Jaguars Think Parker Washington Can Replicate Second-Half Production
Cleveland Cavaliers

Kenny Atkinson to Remain Cavaliers Head Coach Next Season
Josh Jacobs

Arrested on Five Charges, Booked Into Jail
Claude Giroux

Planning to Return for 20th NHL Campaign
Josh Sweat

Cardinals Receiving Trade Calls on Josh Sweat
Carter Hart

Aiming for Sixth Consecutive Win Tuesday
Tetairoa McMillan

Working With the Training Staff on Tuesday
Evgeni Malkin

Inks New One-Year Deal With Penguins
Mackenzie Blackwood

in Net for Game 4 Against Golden Knights
Valeri Nichushkin

a Game-Time Call Tuesday
Nathan MacKinnon

Will Suit Up Tuesday
Jerome Ford

Is it Time for Dynasty Managers to Drop Jerome Ford?
John Metchie III

Poised for Breakout Season with New Team in 2026?
Jalen Milroe

Is Jalen Milroe Still Worth Stashing in Dynasty Formats Entering 2026?
Kyle Pitts Sr.

Is Kyle Pitts Sr. a Dynasty Sell-High Candidate Coming Off Breakout Season?
Nico Collins

Agrees to Contract Adjustment with Texans
Chris Brooks

Carries Buy-Low Dynasty Appeal into 2026
Ben Griffin

Looking to Repeat This Week at Colonial
Rasmus Hojgaard

a Player to Avoid at Charles Schwab Challenge
Hideki Matsuyama

Needs Solid Driving Week at Charles Schwab Challenge
Justin Thomas

Trending Well Ahead of Charles Schwab Challenge
Akshay Bhatia

Lacking Driving Prowess Needed at Colonial Country Club
NFL

NFL Unlikely to Expand to 18 Regular-Season Games by 2027
Sahith Theegala

Searching For Swing at Charles Schwab Challenge
Lamar Jackson

in Attendance at OTAs This Week
Bucky Irving

Expected Back in the Summer or Fall
CFB

DJ Lagway Looking to Rebound at Baylor
CFB

Josh Hoover Tasked With Leading Indiana Back to the Playoffs
CFB

Braylon Staley the Next 1,000-Yard Tennessee Receiver?
Jalen Tolbert

Does Jalen Tolbert Have Short-Term Dynasty Appeal?
CFB

Ahmad Hardy's Return Timeline Remains Unclear
Travis Etienne Jr.

Is Travis Etienne Jr. Still a Dynasty RB1 Following Change of Scenery?
Evan Mobley

Finishes Season-Ending Loss With 15 Points
James Harden

Wants to Stay in Cleveland
Donovan Mitchell

Remains Committed to Cavaliers
Mikal Bridges

Cools Off in Game 4 Against Cavaliers
OG Anunoby

Active on Both Ends in Blowout Win
Karl-Anthony Towns

Leads Knicks in Scoring During Series-Clincher
Jalen Brunson

Named Eastern Conference Finals MVP
Ivan Demidov

Contributes an Assist in Losing Effort
Lane Hutson

Records Power-Play Goal in Game 3 Loss
Frederik Andersen

Enjoys Another Easy Night at the Office in Game 3
Shayne Gostisbehere

Scores First Postseason Goal
Taylor Hall

Ends Four-Game Goal Drought
Andrei Svechnikov

Scores Game 3 Winner in Overtime
Gage Jump

Athletics to Promote Top Pitching Prospect Gage Jump to Major Leagues
Tatsuya Imai

Two Relievers Combine to No-Hit the Rangers on Monday
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder is Ruled Out for Game 4 on Monday
Michael Porter Jr.

Nets Could Trade Michael Porter Jr.
Ajay Mitchell

is Ruled Out for Game 5
Jalen Williams

is Tagged as Questionable for Game 5
Valeri Nichushkin

Nathan MacKinnon, Valeri Nichushkin Uncertain for Game 4
Oliver Kapanen

Sitting as Healthy Scratch Monday
Max Domi

Out Indefinitely Due to Offseason Surgery Complications
Dylan Cease

Heading to Injured List With Hamstring Injury
Daniel Suarez

Wins at Charlotte in Rain-Shortened Coca-Cola 600
Christopher Bell

Finishes as the Runner-Up in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte
Denny Hamlin

Falls Short of Winning and Places Third at Charlotte
Tyler Reddick

Places Fourth After Leading Laps at Charlotte
Kyle Larson

Strong and Consistent Day Ends in Fifth at Charlotte
Devon Toews

Logs Two Assists In Game 3 Defeat
Isaiah Hartenstein

Provides Steady Production in Defeat
Chet Holmgren

Has a Quiet Offensive Night on Sunday
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Held Under 20 Points in Game 4
Stephon Castle

Hands Out Six Assists in Game 4 Win
Devin Vassell

Tallies 13 Points in Game 4 Win
Dylan Cease

Removed From Sunday's Start With Hamstring Discomfort
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Exits Sunday's Game Early with Elbow Contusion
MLB

Reds-Cardinals Game Postponed on Sunday
Edward Cabrera

Cubs Place Edward Cabrera on the 15-Day Injured List
Denny Hamlin

the Favorite to Win at Charlotte
Tyler Reddick

on Pole for Coca-Cola 600
Christopher Bell

Could Break Out of Slump
Kyle Larson

May have A Solid Day at Charlotte
Ryan Blaney

Is A DFS Risk for Charlotte Lineups
William Byron

Could have A Great DFS Performance at Charlotte
Chase Briscoe

Is A Solid Tournament Option for Charlotte DFS Lineups
Ty Gibbs

May not be Worth his Salary for Charlotte DFS Lineups
Chris Buescher

May be a Sneaky Tournament Option for Charlotte Lineups
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Has Favorable Upside for Charlotte DFS Lineups
Ross Chastain

Is A Strong Addition for DFS Lineups at Charlotte
Austin Dillon

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Austin Dillon for Charlotte DFS Lineups?
Chase Elliott

Should Be Strong at Charlotte
Carson Hocevar

Confident for Coca-Cola 600
Corey Heim

a Chalk DFS Pick at Charlotte
Michael McDowell

Is Michael McDowell A Tournament Option for Charlotte Lineups?
MLB

Orioles-Tigers Game Postponed on Saturday
MLB

Rays-Yankees Postponed on Saturday
Mickey Moniak

Heads to Injured List With Ankle Sprain
Jackson Merrill

has Sore Ribs, Expected to Avoid Injured List
CFB

Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele Looking to Take Sophomore Leap
CFB

Jadan Baugh Primed to Lead Florida Offense in 2026
CFB

LSU Hires Ed Orgeron As Special Assistant
CFB

North Carolina and South Carolina Cancel Home-And-Home Series
CFB

Confidence High in Mississippi State's Kamario Taylor
MLB

Reds-Cardinals Game Postponed on Friday
Trevor Story

has Hernia Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-10 Weeks
Roman Anthony

Dealing With Sprained Ligament in his Finger
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Exits Early, X-Rays Come Back Negative
Robby Snelling

Will Undergo Tommy John Surgery
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF