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

Arizona Cardinals Fantasy Football Team Preview - QB, RB, WR, TE Outlooks

Trey McBride - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Rob's 2024 fantasy football team preview for the Arizona Cardinals. Read about fantasy football values, sleepers, rookies and starters at QB, RB, WR and TE.

Welcome to my 2024 fantasy football preview for the Arizona Cardinals as part of my team-by-team fantasy football outlooks series. We have moved on to our third team in the NFC West, the Arizona Cardinals. This up-and-coming team is likely being slept on more than it should be. The return of Kyler Murray and the draft acquisition of Marvin Harrison Jr. will fundamentally change this offense for the better. This is one of the most intriguing offenses in the NFL for fantasy football.

The Cardinals seem to have a big-three at the skilled positions—James Conner, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Trey McBride. Their offense is going to run through these three in such a massive way that it's hard to imagine any of them failing to provide quality seasons for fantasy managers. That's especially true for Conner, who is barely being drafted as an RB2. Then there's Murray. All Murray does is finish in the top 10. This offense could very well be a fantasy gold mine.

There are so many places fantasy managers can find ADP rankings, all of which differ to some extent. Be sure to bookmark our fantasy football ADP page for the latest industry consensus ADPs. If you want to invest in your fantasy football leagues, consider subscribing to our Premium account. Our Premium tools can help you dominate your fantasy leagues. If you'd like to purchase our Premium tools at RotoBaller, use promo code "BOOM" at checkout for a 10% discount.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Fantasy Football Team Previews

NFC West AFC West NFC South AFC South NFC East AFC East NFC North AFC North
Rams Broncos Saints Colts Cowboys Jets Lions Browns
Seahawks Chargers Buccaneers Titans Giants Patriots Bears Ravens
49ers Raiders Panthers Jaguars Commanders Bills Vikings Bengals
Cardinals Chiefs Falcons Texans Eagles Dolphins Packers Steelers

 

Fantasy Football Quarterback Outlook

Kyler Murray: QB10, ADP 68

Murray's current ADP is outrageous and provides a tremendous buying opportunity for fantasy managers. Since his second season in the NFL, all Murray has done is finish as a top-10 quarterback in fantasy points per game. As a rookie in 2019, Murray finished as QB12 with an 18.8 PPG average. That year, his leading receiver was 36-year-old Larry Fitzgerlad, who finished with just over 800 yards. Arizona acquired DeAndre Hopkins the following year, and Murray exploded on the fantasy scene. He averaged 25.8 PPG that year, first among quarterbacks who played at least six games. That was the last year that Murray played with a 1,000-yard receiver. However, that hasn't stopped him from being an excellent fantasy asset.

He tied as the QB3 with a 22.6 PPG average in 2021 and was QB7 in 2022. He tore his ACL late that season, causing him to miss the fantasy football playoffs and the beginning of the 2023 season. Despite coming off a major injury, Murray came back in 2024 and continued to be a top-10 quarterback. He finished with a 19.1 PPG average, good for QB9. From 2022-2023, Arizona did not have a single pass-catcher finish with more than 825 yards. Since Murray came into the league, he has had one season with a 1,000-yard season and hasn't had a receiver with more than 800 yards in the past two years.

Since Murray's rookie season, Trey McBride, Arizona's leading receiver last season, had the fourth-most yards of any pass-catcher Murray has ever played with. Marvin Harrison Jr. is likely to become Murray's second-best pass-catcher he's ever played with this season. It's not a stretch to say that Harrison and McBride will be the best duo of pass-catchers Murray has ever played with. This season, he'll also be a full season removed from his torn ACL injury in 2022, and the entire team will enter its second season with offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. Despite that, he has an ADP worse than any of his PPG finishes since his rookie season. Make it make sense.

Verdict: Buy Kyler Murray

 

Fantasy Football Running Back Outlook

James Conner: RB24, ADP 80
Trey Benson: RB35, ADP 106

Fantasy managers appear to be pretty worried about Benson's draft selection because, based on Conner's role and his fantasy performances the past two years, it's hard to make sense of it. Conner was tied for 10th in touches per game last season with 18.1. He also finished as the RB15 with a 13.3 half-PPR PPG average. From Weeks 10-17, when Kyler Murray returned, Conner averaged 14.9 half-PPR PPG and was the RB11. In 2022, he averaged 17.6 touches per game, 14th in the NFL, which helped him finish as the RB10 with a 13.6 half-PPR PPG average.

Conner's first season in Arizona came in 2021, and that season, he was the RB9 with a 15.6 half-PPR PPG average. Conner has averaged 17.1 touches per game in his three seasons with Arizona. That equates to just over 291 touches over 17 games. Conner has averaged 14.1 half-PPR PPG in his three seasons with the Cardinals. He's been a top-12 fantasy running back since signing with the team in 20221 and one of the cheaper workhorse running backs available this season.

Last year was one of his best. In the 13 games he appeared in, Conner had a 71.3% opportunity share, ninth-highest among running backs. He was fifth among running backs in yards per carry (5.0), 16th in yards per touch (5.1), sixth in yards after contact per attempt (2.2), second in rush attempts per broken tackle (7.7), eighth in juke rate (24.7%), 10th in evaded tackles (58), 16th in yards created per touch (3.64), and seventh in breakaway run rate (6.3%). Among running backs with at least 100 touches, Conner finished seventh in positive expected half-PPR point differential with a +1.5 expected PPG average. He was one of the NFL's most efficient and productive running backs last season.

Since Conner has missed four games in the past two seasons, the Cardinals may want to reduce his workload to keep him healthy. That's likely true, but that doesn't mean he will get enough touches to take Conner from a top-12 running back to barely an RB2, which is what Conner's current ADP currently suggests. With Conner in the last year of his contract with Arizona, they could choose to lean on him for one more season, which should be the expectation. Conner's a good bet to outplay his ADP.

Benson is being drafted just behind Brian Robinson Jr. of the Washington Commanders. He finished as the RB20 last year in half-PPR PPG. He's being drafted ahead of fellow third-round rookie MarShawn Llyod. While many will be quick to say that Josh Jacobs, the starting running back ahead of Lloyd on the Packers' depth chart, is better than Conner, they certainly wouldn't be able to use 2023 as part of their argument. Conner was one of the most efficient running backs, while Jacobs was one of the worst.

They might also use Conner's injury history; however, Jacobs missed four games last season. One of the big differences between Lloyd and Benson is that the coaching staff in Green Bay has always used a running back-by-committee approach. Unfortunately, I envision a rookie season similar to Zach Charbonnet's rookie year with the Seahawks last season, where Kenneth Walker III was Seattle's clear lead back. Benson is an intriguing prospect and an elite fantasy football handcuff, but it's hard to imagine him holding much stand-alone value as long as Conner is healthy.

Benson is an intriguing player who would demand more attention if his ADP and cost weren't so high. While Benson has excellent handcuff potential in the event of a Conner injury, he'll likely struggle to maintain any week-to-week value. He's not likely to unseat Conner, based on the way the veteran played last season short of an injury, and in that sense, there are far cheaper handcuff running backs to target. Blake Corum, Zach Charbonnet, MarShawn Lloyd, and Tyler Allgeier are all going well after him. Other guys with more week-to-week value, like Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, Jerome Ford, and Gus Edwards, are also going after Benson. Either way, if you're looking for a handcuff or an RB3, cheaper options are available.

Verdict: Buy James Conner and Sell Trey Benson

 

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Outlook

Marvin Harrison Jr.: WR10, ADP 17
Michael Wilson: WR67, ADP 156
Zay Jones: WR86, ADP 230
Greg Dortch: WR95, ADP 249

Arizona made Harrison the first receiver off the board in this year's draft, taking him fourth overall. He is coming off two years at Ohio State, where he had 323 targets, 144 receptions, 2,474 yards, and 28 touchdowns. He is widely regarded as one of the best receiver prospects of the last 10 years, right up there with Ja'Marr Chase. He happens to be exactly what this offense is missing and what Murray has not had since DeAndre Hopkins in 2020. That season, Hopkins had 160 targets, 115 receptions, 1,407 yards, and six touchdowns. He finished as the WR6 with a 15.0 half-PPR PPG average.

Given Harrison's talent and the lack of quality players behind him, there's little reason to think Harrison won't command 140+ targets in his first season. Murray averaged 33.5 pass attempts last season in his eight starts. That was with little to no quality pass-catchers on the roster. Fantasy managers should expect that to creep up to 35 in 2024. For his career, Murray has averaged 34.5 pass attempts per game. Harrison's price point may seem high right now, but given his talent profile, quality quarterback, and a clear pathway to elite volume, there appears to be very little in his way from, at the least, matching his current ADP.

As you can see from the other pass-catchers on this list, fantasy managers are not expecting anyone to do anything of note. Wilson and Jones will likely eat into each other's snaps as the team's primary No. 2 receiver opposite Harrison. Dortch will likely fall in as the team's primary slot receiver, but he'll have to compete with Trey McBride for those short, over-the-middle targets. Ultimately, none of these three players will have any fantasy appeal. In best ball leagues, throwing a few darts at Wilson because of his deep ball and big play ability makes sense, but Jones and Dortch do not have the downfield utilization that will allow them to make a difference on limited volume.

Verdict: Buy Marvin Harrison Jr., Take a few dart throws on Michael Wilson, Sell Zay Jones and Greg Dortch

 

Fantasy Football Tight End Outlook

Trey McBride: TE3, ADP 43

Arizona messed around (again) with a tight end-by-committee approach at the beginning of the season with Zach Ertz and McBride, but once Ertz went to IR and eventually was cut, McBride exploded. From Weeks 8-17, he averaged 11.7 half-PPR PPG, finishing as the TE5. However, his expected PPG average was 12.2, TE3. A big reason for his jump in expected points is that he caught just two touchdowns on 79 targets. During that time, McBride ranked eighth in yards after the catch per reception (4.9), second in yards per route run (2.15), and eighth in yards per target (7.86) among tight ends with at least 40 targets during that time.

He had a 26.8% target share since Week 8, which ranked first among tight ends. He averaged 8.78 targets, 7.00 receptions, and 69.00 yards per game from Weeks 8-17. These per-game averages across nine games would extrapolate to 149 targets, 119 receptions, and 1,173 yards. While Harrison will almost certainly lower his target share and target per-game average, as you can see, there is plenty of room for that to decrease and for McBride to remain an elite asset in the position.

Sam LaPorta had Amon-Ra St. Brown. Tyreek Hill was also in Kansas City with Travis Kelce. T.J. Hockenson produced next to Justin Jefferson. Fantasy managers shouldn't be worried about Harrison. While it may decrease McBride's target-per-game average to some extent, it'll also increase the overall offense's efficiency and create more scoring opportunities. McBride and Harrison should command 50% of the target share in Arizona. McBride is Arizona's clear No. 2 target-earner, and that distinction almost always comes with a top-five fantasy finish. Given just how efficient he was and how much he flashed last season, the TE3 is fair.

Verdict: Fair Price Trey McBride

 

As a reminder, please use promo code "BOOM" at checkout for 10% off any premium purchase.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




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

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Wyatt Langford

Back in Action on Sunday
Jordan Westburg

Sidelined on Sunday
Adley Rutschman

Will Not Return Until After All-Star Break
Denny Hamlin

the Favorite to Notch Yet Another Pocono Win
Ryan Blaney

Qualifies 20th but Should Contend at Pocono
William Byron

the Chalk DFS Play at Pocono After Wrecking in Qualifying
Joey Logano

Is Better Than Recent Pocono Record Suggests
Chris Buescher

Looking for Legitimate Pocono Win This Time
Brad Keselowski

Should Be Strong at Pocono This Weekend
Josh Berry

a Safe DFS Option at Pocono After Diffuser Issue
Erik Jones

Is Good at Pocono
Noah Gragson

is a DFS Pivot Option at Pocono
Austin Dillon

is Respectable at Pocono
John Hunter Nemechek

Should Be Avoided in DFS
Chase Burns

to be Called Up, Will Start Tuesday Versus Yankees
Christopher Bell

Probably Not Dominant Enough Recently for DFS Play
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace's Lack of Pocono Qualifying Time Makes Him a DFS Must-Have
Ross Chastain

Not As Good a DFS Option As Usual at Pocono
Chase Briscoe

Qualified Too Well for DFS Consideration
Carson Hocevar

Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.'s Feud with Carson Hocevar Will Be His Only Pocono Storyline Today
Daniel Suarez

Pocono One of Daniel Suarez's Stronger Tracks
Chris Buescher

Ryan Preece Looks to Close Playoff Deficit to Teammate Chris Buescher
Shane Van Gisbergen

Another Learning Experience for Shane van Gisbergen at Pocono
Michael McDowell

Poor Qualifying Makes Him Worthy of DFS Consideration
Ty Dillon

Consistent at Pocono at a Very Low Level
Cal Raleigh

Hits 30th Homer
Ian Happ

Homers Twice in Win
Marvin Mims Jr.

Aiming for Another Pro Bowl Selection
Terry McLaurin

Commanders Not "in a Great Place" Regarding New Contract
Kel'el Ware

Heat Unwilling to Trade Kel'el Ware to the Suns
Jakob Poeltl

Won't be Included in Potential Trade with Phoenix
Chris Sale

Placed on 15-Day Injured List
Geor'quarius Spivey

Chiefs Sign Geor'quarius Spivey
Jake Burger

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Calvin Ridley

Looks Bought in
Cam Ward

Looks Good During Offseason Workouts
Adley Rutschman

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Jalen Ramsey

Prefers to Move to West Coast
Malik Nabers

Giants Being Extra Cautious With Malik Nabers
Shota Imanaga

to Come Off Injured List and Start Next Week
Mitch Garver

Cracks Two Homers, Drives in Five
Jacob Misiorowski

Takes Perfect Game Into Seventh
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Continues Crushing Baseballs With Two More Dingers
Riley Greene

Keeps Mashing With Pair of Homers
Christian Yelich

Tallies Career-High Eight RBI
Josh Green

Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
Dwight Powell

Exercises Player Option
Xazavian Valladay

Waived by Saints
Tre' McKitty

Released by Browns
Chig Okonkwo

Building Chemistry with Cam Ward
Iván Herrera

Ivan Herrera Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Add Perrion Winfrey.
Jake Ferguson

Hindered by Knee Issue in 2024
Jamahal Hill

Set For UFC Azerbaijan Main Event
Khalil Rountree Jr.

A Favorite At UFC Azerbaijan
Ignacio Bahamondes

Set For UFC Azerbaijan Co-Main Event
Rafael Fiziev

In Dire Need Of Victory
Rizvan Kuniev

Set To Make His UFC Debut
Curtis Blaydes

A Huge Favorite
Tofiq Musayev

Makes His UFC Debut At UFC Azerbaijan
Myktybek Orolbai

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Nikolas Motta

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Nazim Sadykhov

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Bogdan Grad

Set For His Second UFC Appearance
Fernando Tatis Jr.

Set for More Testing After HBP
Muhammad Naimov

Set To Open Up UFC Azerbaijan Main Card
Julius Randle

Naz Reid and Julius Randle Expected to Return to the Timberwolves
T.J. McConnell

Keys Pacers Bench in Big Win
Jalen Williams

Struggles in Game 6 Loss
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Can't Close Out Pacers
Tyrese Haliburton

Helps the Pacers Push the Thunder to Game 7
Obi Toppin

Drops 20 Points in Pacers Win
Pascal Siakam

Powers Pacers to Game 6 Win
Cristopher Sánchez

Cristopher Sanchez Goes Eight Strong Innings in Win Over Marlins
Andre Granillo

Notches First Career Win, Then First Career Save in Doubleheader
Aaron Rodgers

Steelers Offense Could Look to get the Ball Out of Aaron Rodgers' Hand Quickly
Joe Mixon

to be Ready at Some Point During Training Camp
Alejandro Kirk

Slugs Two Home Runs in Loss
Emery Jones Jr.

Ravens "Hopeful" Emery Jones Jr. Will be Ready for Training Camp
Jac Caglianone

Smacks Two Solo Homers
Tyquan Thornton

Andy Reid Impressed by Tyquan Thornton
Shedeur Sanders

has Multiple Speeding Tickets
Travis Kelce

Chiefs Not Looking to Limit Travis Kelce's Snap Count
Josh Simmons

Will be Ready for Training Camp
Sal Cannella

Browns Sign UFL Standout Tight End Sal Cannella
Jonathan Ward

Steelers Release Jonathan Ward
Tyrese Haliburton

Officially Questionable for Game 6
Maverick McNealy

May Need To Be Avoided at TPC River Highlands
Wyndham Clark

Avoid Wyndham Clark at the Travelers Championship
Rickie Fowler

a Very Risky Option at TPC River Highlands
Russell Henley

Has Elite Value at TPC River Highlands
Ben Griffin

Once Again a Solid Option for Travelers Championship
Jason Day

an Intriguing Option at TPC River Highlands
PGA

Sungjae Im Still Totally Useless For DFS Ahead of Travelers Championship
Patrick Cantlay

Looking to Bounce Back After Messy U.S. Open
Ryan Fox

Looks to Continue Hot Run at TPC River Highlands
Jordan Spieth

Makes a Strong Case at Travelers Championship
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks to Continue Momentum Into Travelers Championship
Hideki Matsuyama

Searching for Consistency at Travelers Championship
Justin Thomas

Looks to Bounce Back at Travelers Championship
Adam Scott

Looks to Rebound After Disappointing U.S. Open Finish
Collin Morikawa

Eyeing Another Strong Performance at Travelers
Shane Lowry

a High-Upside Play at Travelers
Tommy Fleetwood

Looks to Rebound at Travelers
Corey Conners

Withdraws from Travelers with Wrist Injury
Keegan Bradley

in Solid Form Ahead of Travelers Championship
Gary Woodland

Hit-or-Miss at the Travelers
Sepp Straka

Expected to Contend at Travelers Championship
Tyrese Haliburton

to Be a Game-Time Call Thursday
Roman Josi

Expects to Return for 2025-26 Campaign
Sam Bennett

Wins Conn Smythe Trophy
Matthew Tkachuk

Reveals Multiple Injuries
Aleksander Barkov

Posts Two Assists in Cup-Clinching Win
Carter Verhaeghe

Collects Hat Trick of Assists in Tuesday's Win
Sam Reinhart

Scores Four Goals in Cup-Clincher
John Klingberg

Rejoins Oilers Lineup Tuesday
Kasperi Kapanen

Returns to Oilers Lineup for Game 6
Stuart Skinner

Back in Oilers Crease Tuesday
Chet Holmgren

Has Tough Shooting Night in Game 5 Against Pacers
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Outstanding at Both Ends Monday
Jalen Williams

Erupts for 40 Points in Game 5 Win
Pascal Siakam

Has Best Game of Finals Monday
Tyrese Haliburton

Determined to Battle Through Calf Injury
LeBron James

Progressing Well From Knee Injury
Stephen Curry

"Not Even Close" to Retirement
Jonathan Kuminga

Linked to Bulls, Heat
Kamaru Usman

Gets Back In The Win Column
Joaquin Buckley

Winning Streak Comes To An End
Miranda Maverick

Drops Decision At UFC Atlanta
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF