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Jacoby Brissett Throws TD Pass In Preseason Start
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett started the team's second preseason game of the year. Brissett was inactive in last week's Hall of Fame Game against the Panthers, but opened for the Cardinals in their 27-14 win over the Raiders on Thursday night. The 10-year veteran was only on the field for the first drive of the game, but he was very effective. Brissett went 5-for-5 for 44 passing yards on an 11-play drive that culminated in a touchdown throw to Marvin Harrison Jr. After signing a one-year, $15.5 million guaranteed contract in July, Brissett is the presumed starter for the Cardinals going into the 2026 season. Last year, Brissett threw for 3,366 yards and 23 touchdowns to eight interceptions in 14 games (12 starts) for Arizona. His next tune-up will come on August 22 against the Dallas Cowboys.
Source: NFL.com
Source: NFL.com
Jeremiyah Love Suffers Ankle Injury, Could Have Returned
Arizona Cardinals rookie running back Jeremiyah Love (ankle) suffered an ankle injury during the team's 27-14 preseason win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Head coach Mike LaFleur told the media that Love had a minor ankle injury but could've returned and should be good to practice next week. The third-overall pick had a strong showing on Thursday night, totaling 72 scrimmage yards and a touchdown on 14 attempts. Love was the first back on the field tonight, with veteran Tyler Allegeier spelling him. While it's possible the team was trying to get their inexperienced back more work during the preseason, seeing him dominate the time share is a great sign for fantasy managers. As long as Love is healthy, he should be a strong RB2 in 2026.
Source: Theo Mackie - AZC Sports
Source: Theo Mackie - AZC Sports
Carson Beck Won't Play in Thursday's Preseason Game Due to Rib Injury
Arizona Cardinals rookie quarterback Carson Beck (rib) will not suit up for Thursday's second preseason contest against the Las Vegas Raiders due to a rib injury that he suffered in last Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against the Carolina Panthers, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. The injury is not considered serious, though, and Beck practiced through the soreness all week. The Cardinals have decided to keep him out as a precaution and to allow for more time to heal. It remains to be seen if Beck will be cleared to participate in the third preseason game on Saturday, Aug. 22, against the Dallas Cowboys. The third-rounder went 15-for-19 passing for 188 yards and a touchdown in the first half last week against the Panthers. Even if veteran starter Jacoby Brissett misses time due to an injury in 2026, the 24-year-old Beck might not be the next man up under center in Arizona, with veteran Gardner Minshew also in the QB room. UPDATE: Per The Arizona Republic's Theo Mackie, head coach Mike LaFleur said there's "no concern" with Beck's rib injury.
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
Cardinals Believe Trey McBride Can Still Do More
Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride's 126 receptions in 2025 were a single-season positional record, while his 252.9 half-PPR fantasy points were almost 90 more than the next closest tight end, but new head coach Mike LaFleur indicated on Wednesday a belief that the first-team All-Pro still has room for growth. "Here was your route tree since you've been here... What can we expand off it?" he recounted to the media. "I think he can have maybe a deeper intermediate route tree." Among 53 tight ends with at least 25 targets in 2025, McBride's 9.8 yards per reception ranked 34th, and while his underneath work allowed him to dominate in PPR leagues, the addition of more explosive plays could raise his ceiling even higher in 2026. The two-time Pro Bowler is RotoBaller's TE2 and a player who rarely escapes the second round of drafts.
Source: Theo Mackie
Source: Theo Mackie
James Conner Still Not Participating in Team Drills
Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (ankle) still has not participated in 11-on-11 drills in practice as he recovers from a significant ankle injury in 2025. Conner suffered an ankle dislocation that required surgery in Week 3 of last season, marking just shy of 11 months since the surgery. With the veteran back still not participating in team drills, it's unclear whether Conner will be ready for Week 1's game against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Cardinals signed Tyler Allgeier in free agency and drafted rookie Jeremiyah Love with the third-overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. While the former workhorse for Arizona could be a factor in the latter part of 2026, fantasy managers should probably pivot to another option in this season's drafts.
Source: Blake Murphy - Bleav's Network
Source: Blake Murphy - Bleav's Network
Marvin Harrison Jr. Is Easier to Buy Into at WR32
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. hasn't come close to the fantasy expectations that followed him into the league, but WR32 is a much easier place to take another swing. He went 62-885-8 as a rookie, then managed 41 catches for 608 yards and four scores in 12 games last season. That second year was a mess physically. Harrison dealt with a concussion, emergency appendicitis surgery, a heel injury and another foot issue that eventually landed him on injured reserve. Arizona changed coaches after the season, and Mike LaFleur has been pretty clear about how he sees Harrison. He'll be the X receiver in a role LaFleur has compared to Davante Adams, with Michael Wilson working more like Puka Nacua. The competition is real. Wilson broke out for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns, while Trey McBride caught 126 passes for 1,239 yards and 11 scores. Jacoby Brissett is also the current QB1. Harrison doesn't need to dominate that group to help fantasy teams, though. RotoBaller has him at WR32 in half-PPR, and that's a much more reasonable bet on talent and a clearer role than fantasy managers were making the last two summers.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jacoby Brissett to Play on Thursday Against Raiders
The Arizona Cardinals' starters, including quarterback Jacoby Brissett, will play a drive or two in the team's second preseason game on Thursday night against the Las Vegas Raiders, according to ESPN's Josh Weinfuss. Brissett and the first-team offense did not play in last week's Hall of Fame preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. The 33-year-old veteran took over for an injured Kyler Murray last year and proceeded to have a career season, throwing for 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 14 games played (12 starts). It was an impressive showing for a career backup, but his strong season earned him a new contract in the desert and the confidence of the Cardinals' new coaching staff. Arizona's offense is expected to be much more balanced under new head coach Mike LaFleur in 2026, especially after the offseason additions of running backs Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier, so we aren't expecting Brissett to be dropping back to throw nearly every down like he did in 2025. At best, Brissett should be considered a low-end QB2 with limited upside in 2026.
Source: ESPN.com - Josh Weinfuss
Source: ESPN.com - Josh Weinfuss
Jeremiyah Love to Play in Second Preseason Game
The Arizona Cardinals' starters, including rookie first-round running back Jeremiyah Love, will play a drive or two in the team's second preseason game on Thursday night against the Las Vegas Raiders, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN. Love did not play in last week's Hall of Fame preseason game against the Carolina Panthers, so he'll make his NFL debut this week. The 21-year-old third overall pick from Notre Dame has an incredibly high fantasy ceiling in the short and long term in Arizona, but early on in his first NFL season, Love could share plenty of backfield touches with Tyler Allgeier and veteran James Conner. Regardless, fantasy managers in redraft leagues will have to pay a pretty penny to secure the services of the do-it-all back as he heads into his first year in the NFL. He's not in an ideal situation in an offense run by veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett, but Love's talent alone makes him a low-end RB1/high-end RB2 talent right away.
Source: ESPN.com - Josh Weinfuss
Source: ESPN.com - Josh Weinfuss
Cardinals Want to Keep Michael Wilson Around Long-Term
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson broke out in 2025 to the tune of 1,006 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on his way to a WR2 fantasy finish over the final eight games of the season. Now entering the final year of his rookie contract, Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort reiterated that the team wants to keep Wilson in their long-term plans while carefully tempering expectations. Asked on Monday if he expects a deal to get done, Ossenfort told the assembled media, "He's a guy we want around here a long time," but stopped short of over-committing. "Expect? That's a tough word. Our interest is in keeping him here." Wilson is RotoBaller's dynasty WR32, and should he reach free agency in 2027 at the age of 27, he should find a receptive market, particularly if he's able to follow up on his late-season success in 2026.
Source: Theo Mackie
Source: Theo Mackie
DeAndre Hopkins Accuses Steve Keim Over 2022 PED Test
Free-agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins made an accusation involving former Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim over the PED test that led to Hopkins' six-game suspension in 2022. According to ProFootballTalk, Hopkins said in a since-deleted social-media post that he was "set up" while playing for Arizona and pointed toward Keim when discussing what he called a contaminated test. Hopkins did not explain why he believes Keim was involved. The NFL suspended Hopkins without pay for six games in 2022 for violating its performance-enhancing drug policy. Hopkins said at the time that his November test showed trace elements of a banned substance and that he was surprised by the result. Now 34, Hopkins remains a free agent after catching 22 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns with Baltimore last season. He recently joined Georgia Tech as an assistant wide receivers coach but says he has not retired from the NFL.
Source: ProFootballTalk
Source: ProFootballTalk
Carson Beck Back Working With Third-Team Offense
After an impressive starting debut in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game, Arizona Cardinals rookie quarterback Carson Beck was back working primarily with the third-team offense during Sunday's practice, and he was not particularly sharp, according to team reporter Darren Urban. While he did rally with a pair of touchdown throws late in practice, the offense was reportedly a step behind the defense for much of the day. Beck was a third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and there is an expectation that he could see starting work at some point as a rookie. His performance in the Hall of Fame Game offered reassurance to fantasy managers weighing the late-season upside of players like Trey McBride or Jeremiyah Love. However, Beck will still need to establish consistency and show he can run the offense without significant drop-off to remove some of the lingering doubt surrounding his high-profile teammates.
Source: Darren Urban
Source: Darren Urban
Jacoby Brissett Struggles with Deep Ball on Sunday
Arizona Cardinals veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett has struggled with the deep ball in training camp, missing roughly seven throws in Sunday's practice, including four to wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., according to Bo Brack of PHNX Sports. Brissett signed a reworked one-year, $15.5 million contract in late July and started the final 12 games of the 2025 season, going 1-11 despite posting solid numbers. With the team using the 65th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on quarterback Carson Beck (who was fantastic in Thursday's Hall-of-Fame Game), Brissett's status in Arizona remains uncertain. If Brissett struggles to start the season, the Cardinals could opt to start the rookie to assess whether he's the future at quarterback. In Superflex formats, Brissett is a solid late-round option, but expectations should be tempered after his extremely high-volume 2025 season.
Source: Bo Brack - PHNX Sports
Source: Bo Brack - PHNX Sports
Cardinals Focused on Getting Jeremiyah Love Involved
Arizona Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love was the key player this organization added this offseason. According to Theo Mackie, the Cardinals are focused on creating matchups and finding ways to get Love involved. They don't appear to be afraid to use Love both in and out of the backfield. The Cardinals used the third overall pick during this year's draft on Love. However, it's not the best fit at the moment with James Conner still on the roster, and the team signing Tyler Allgeier as well. Love has the skillset to be a RB1 right away, but that's unlikely to happen with Conner and Allgeier in the picture. Long-term, Love has the entire package, but a crowded backfield leaves Love as Rotoballer's RB13 entering the season.
Source: Theo Mackie
Source: Theo Mackie
Michael Wilson Continues his Terrific Camp
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson has been catching everything during training camp, according to Johnny Venerable. It's still early, but Wilson is looking like the best wideout in Arizona right now. This shouldn't be shocking news after Wilson's breakout campaign last year. Last season, Wilson hauled in 78 receptions for over 1,000 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 17 games. There is clearly strong chemistry between Wilson and quarterback Jacoby Brissett. The 26-year-old appears to be on the rise, but we'll see if he can top his performance from last season. Wilson currently ranks as Rotoballer's WR40 heading into the 2026 season.
Source: Johnny Venerable
Source: Johnny Venerable
Kendrick Bourne Is Mostly a Deep-League Option in 2026
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Kendrick Bourne has a defined role heading into 2026, but it may not be enough to matter in most redraft leagues. Bourne caught 37 of 53 targets for 551 yards in 16 games with San Francisco last season and did not score a touchdown. Arizona signed him to a two-year deal in March, and the team's own website has him sliding in as the WR3 behind Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson. Trey McBride also sits near the top of the passing game, so Bourne could have trouble seeing enough volume to become a weekly fantasy option. He did average 14.9 yards per catch last year and gives the Cardinals an experienced receiver who can step into a larger role if Harrison or Wilson misses time. For now, though, RotoBaller has Bourne 230th overall and WR88 in half-PPR. That puts him outside the range of players fantasy managers need to prioritize in standard leagues, though he can still make sense as depth in deeper formats.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
