Cardinals vs 49ers Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Rondale Moore, James Conner, Trey McBride, Elijah Mitchell, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk

November 20, 2022

Fantasy football start em, sit em and lineups advice for the Cardinals vs 49ers Monday Night game in Week 11 (2022). MNF matchups analysis with detailed breakdowns.

Welcome back RotoBallers to the final game of Week 11. We're back at it as always with our Monday Night Football matchups analysis article for the 49ers vs. Cardinals. It's been yet another wild and awesome week of NFL and fantasy football action filled with big performances, new players emerging, and injuries. Hopefully, you're on the verge of winning your matchups (or already have).

Now we get one more game on Monday night to finish it off. Below you will find our matchups analysis for the Monday Night Football game between the Arizona Cardinals vs San Francisco 49ers. Hopefully, it will be an exciting game that adds to a week filled with plenty of booms, busts, and injuries.

Read our fantasy football breakdowns for these games -- the recommended starts, sits, and matchups we love heading into the Week 11 matchups. Good luck RotoBallers!

San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals

Start Time: 8:15 PM ET
Spread: 49ers -10.0
Implied Total: 49ers (25.75) vs. Cardinals (17.75)
Pace: 49ers (28th) vs. Cardinals (4th)
49ers Off. DVOA: 23.3% Pass (7th), -8.9% Rush (23rd)
Cardinals Off. DVOA: -8.8% Pass (29th), -13.8% Rush (27th)
49ers Def. DVOA: -2.9% Pass (10th), -18.4% Rush (3rd)
Cardinals Def. DVOA: 8.2% Pass (19th), -4.5% Rush (16th)

Matchups We Love:

Christian McCaffrey (RB, SF)

McCaffrey found himself in a 50/50 split with Elijah Mitchell, limiting his upside in this game, but he still found the end zone and received the six targets. Head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke about deploying both backs, but the high-value touches are still going to McCaffrey, plus the matchup last week heavily favored running the ball. He's still an elite option with top-five upside.

George Kittle (TE, SF)

The 49ers ran the ball 41 times, electing to attempt only 28 passes, which makes it difficult for everyone in the passing attack to succeed. Kittle possesses such explosiveness and yards-after-the-catch ability, that he needs to be started to get those big games. Additionally, he gets the No. 1 matchup for tight ends, making him a must-start.

Matchups We Hate:

James Conner (RB, ARI)

It was a massive day for Conner, who received 21 carries and three targets. The Cardinals established a lead in the second quarter and never looked back, enabling Conner to score twice on the ground. The matchup against the 49ers has been the worst for fantasy running backs, so he'll need to find the end zone and catch passes to succeed in this one, which is well within his potential outcomes. There's also the possibility of a high-scoring game given the over/under.

Cardinals Quarterback

Kyler Murray missed last week's game, thrusting Colt McCoy into the starting role. McCoy filled in admirably, supporting the value of all the primary weapons and getting the victory. It's a difficult defense to move the ball on, and both of them are currently dealing with injuries, lowering their appeal. Murray would still be in the top 12 because of his rushing ability, while McCoy is best left on the bench if he starts.

UPDATE: Murray has been ruled out and is now expected to miss at least Monday's game, possibly more. McCoy has been removed from the injury report, meaning he'll be the starter once again. After what we saw last week, it's not a significant downgrade for the weapons surrounding him.

Other Matchups:

49ers Wide Receivers

As discussed above, the volume issue is impacting all their pass-catchers, which includes Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. Samuel actually participated more as a runner than a receiver with four carries compared to two receptions, which is not ideal for his fantasy value.

Aiyuk yet again finished with more points, catching six passes for 84 yards. They're both going to be volatile top-24 receivers because of the volume, but Aiyuk has been more valuable for several weeks now.

Jimmy Garoppolo (QB, SF)

Garoppolo benefits from having so many awesome weapons but doesn't need to air out and score touchdowns to win. In this matchup though, he'll likely need to throw more often and should find the end zone at least once, making him a solid streamer, especially for managers who were waiting on Murray and needed a pivot.

DeAndre Hopkins (WR, ARI)

One of the weapons McCoy was able to support was Hopkins, who caught nine-plus passes for 90-plus yards, returning to his high-volume alpha role. The Cardinals are a better team when they feed him targets and utilize his contested catch ability. It's a tougher matchup but as the No. 1 option in the offense, he's a top-20 receiver with top-10 upside.

UPDATE: Hopkins is active and will play.

Rondale Moore (WR, ARI)

Moore also caught nine-plus passes for 90-plus yards. Since the return of Hopkins, which coincided with the Marquise Brown injury, Moore has finished in the top 24 in three straight weeks including a WR7 finish in Week 8, making him a solid top-24 receiver because of his target share.

Trey McBride (TE, ARI)

With the season-ending injury to Zach Ertz, rookie Trey McBride is expected to take over as the starting tight end for the Cardinals. In season-long lineups, it's likely a wait-and-see situation unless you're desperate with no other options. In DFS, he makes for a more intriguing boom-or-bust option.

Injuries:

Marquise Brown (foot)
Kyler Murray (hamstring)
Zach Ertz (knee)

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