Is Greg Dortch, Michael Wilson, Or Zay Jones The Fantasy Football WR2 For The Cardinals?

August 12, 2024

Who will be the WR2 for the Arizona Cardinals in 2024? Andrew Ball takes a look at the credentials of each candidate to see who is likely the second wide receiver.

Two of the most sought-after players, at their respective positions, are members of the Arizona Cardinals.

Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is an early second-round selection despite never playing against NFL defenses. Trey McBride is a top-four option at tight end.

Where does that leave the rest of the weapons in the passing offense? Greg Dortch, Michael Wilson, and Zay Jones can return value, but we’ll have to determine which of the trio will earn the most targets.

Who is the Arizona Cardinals WR2?

When the Cardinals traded Rondale Moore to the Atlanta Falcons in the offseason, underrated slot receiver Greg Dortch was tapped to take over the role. Over the last two seasons, he's had short spurts of fantasy-relevant production, especially in PPR leagues. There's been little consistency, however. His best games in 2022 came when Moore was out of the lineup. The hope is that Dortch can become a flex-worthy PPR option without competition in the slot.

Arizona's initial depth chart gave us a peak into how Jonathan Gannon plans to deploy his wideouts. Instead of competing with Michael Wilson on the outside, Zay Jones is listed behind Dortch in the slot.

Some initial takeaways on the Cardinals' depth chart that dropped today, beginning with the offense:

- Elijah Higgins TE2

- Zay Jones behind Greg Dortch in the slot

- Desmond Ridder QB2

- Trey Benson RB2 over Emari Demercado

- Michael Carter RB5

(1/3) pic.twitter.com/4ivo0TNrpy

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) August 5, 2024

If that depth chart holds, Wilson is, by definition, the number two wide receiver. The 2023 third-round pick became a noteworthy name during training camp last season. The Cardinals' offense floundered without Kyler Murray in the lineup to begin the 2023 season. That prevented Wilson from being on redraft fantasy football rosters, but he did end the season on a high note (13.5 and 15.5 PPR points in the final two weeks).

Who Should I Draft in Fantasy Football?

Outside the deepest of leagues, Jones is off fantasy football radars. Dortch isn't too far ahead of him, but the case could be made for a last-round PPR swing. Wilson is a slightly more enticing prospect, but he doesn't have a high ceiling. Arizona will have a concentrated passing attack with Harrison Jr. and McBride.

.@mcbtrey strikes again ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/Mm9PlpMwvS

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) August 7, 2024

Either way, the secondary Arizona aerial options are free selections if a fantasy manager is passionate about any of the options. At best, they become a bench piece worthy of a spot start, dependent on the matchup. At worst, they can be dropped quickly into the new season without penalty.

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