December 26, 2025

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett enters Week 17 as a QB1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, who allow the fourth most fantasy points to quarterbacks on the season. Week 16 was underwhelming for Brissett, as he threw for only 203 yards and one touchdown with an interception. Before Week 16, Brissett had finished as a QB12 or better on the week in nine consecutive contests since he took over as the starter in Week 6, and he deserves a pass for his poor showing in Week 16, where he only scored 11.62 points. Looking forward to Week 17, he should be fired up with confidence as Marvin Harrison Jr. is back from injury and should help the offense even more, combined with his rapport with Trey McBride and Michael Wilson, which has allowed Brissett to elevate his play and make both of those players tremendous fantasy assets during the second half of the fantasy season. On the season as a whole, Brissett has thrown for 2,911 yards and 19 touchdowns with seven interceptions in 12 games played. RotoBaller ranks Brissett as the QB9 this week.--Nicho Roessler
Source: RotoBaller

December 24, 2025

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said on Wednesday that safety Budda Baker (concussion) came in this week with concussion symptoms and is now in the league's concussion protocol, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Baker played 68 defensive snaps in Sunday's loss to the Atlanta Falcons, but the 29-year-old suffered a head injury and is now up in the air to be active for a Week 17 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Cardinals are eliminated from playoff contention, so expect them to be cautious in bringing Baker back for the final two games of the 2025 regular season. If Baker misses this weekend's game against the Bengals, Kitan Crawford would be in line to start at free safety for the Cardinals. Fantasy managers in IDP leagues should be searching for backup options if Baker is ruled out.--Keith Hernandez
Source: AZCardinals.com - Darren Urban

December 24, 2025

Arizona Cardinals running back Michael Carter had 11 carries for 65 yards in the 26-19 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The Cardinals have been decimated by injuries this season, especially in their RB room. James Conner (ankle), Trey Benson (knee), and Bam Knight (ankle) are all on injured reserve, leaving Carter and Emari Demercado as the two lead backs. Carter played 54% of the snaps and led the team in carries, while Demercado played 30% of the snaps. Their Week 17 matchup brings some upside, as they face the Cincinnati Bengals, who have allowed the most fantasy points to running backs this season. While he entered the season as an afterthought in Arizona, he could determine fantasy championships this week and offers low-end RB2 value against this struggling Bengals defense.--Nathan Harvey
Source: Pro Football Reference

December 23, 2025

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett had a rough week against the Falcons in Week 16, but he should be poised to bounce back in a big way against the Bengals in Week 17. Brissett has thrown multiple touchdowns in eight of his previous nine games, but he only threw for one score and a season-low 203 passing yards last week against Atlanta. The Bengals have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season, allowing 30 QB touchdowns (passing and rushing) in 15 games, along with an average of 256 passing yards per week. In what should be a much better matchup, Brissett can be a great addition and streaming play in Week 17 if you need help at the position.--Zach Thompson
Source: ESPN

December 22, 2025

The Washington Commanders are signing quarterback Jeff Driskel off the Arizona Cardinals' practice squad, according to Ben Standig of The Athletic. Driskel served as Washington's QB3 last season and knows how to operate in Kliff Kingsbury's offense. This move adds much-needed depth to an injury-plagued quarterback room in Washington. With Marcus Mariota's (hand) availability unclear and Jayden Daniels being sidelined for the rest of the season, Driskel could be forced to slide into the QB2 role. Washington is playing on a short week and will be facing off against division rival Dallas Cowboys on Christmas Day. On a quick turnaround, Washington likely wanted to bring in someone who has been around their offense to back up Josh Johnson.--Wyatt McClintock
Source: Ben Standig

December 22, 2025

Arizona Cardinals running back Michael Carter filled in as the starter in Week 16 for the team's banged-up backfield, and he had a solid game against the Falcons. He took 11 carries for 65 yards but failed to catch either of his two targets or get into the end zone. Carter played well ahead of Emari Demercado and Corey Kiner and will likely lead the backfield committee again in Week 17 with James Conner, Trey Benson, and Bam Knight all on the shelf for the rest of the season. Carter and the Cards get a favorable matchup in Week 17 against the Bengals, so if you need some emergency help in the backfield, he's a solid streaming option with touchdown-dependent upside in Week 17.--Zach Thompson
Source: ESPN

December 21, 2025

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (heel) is officially active for his team's Week 16 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. Harrison Jr. has been sidelined since Week 13 due to a heel injury. Across 10 games this season, the 23-year-old has hauled in 40 receptions for 594 yards and four touchdowns on 69 targets. Previous reporting from ESPN's Adam Schefter indicated that Arizona planned to "ease" Harrison Jr. back into the lineup, so he could see a smaller snap share than usual. In Harrison Jr.'s absence, Michael Wilson has stepped into the WR1 role in Arizona, while star tight end Trey McBride should be expected to remain the team's lead pass-catcher. Harrison Jr. profiles as a low-end WR3/flex option for fantasy managers in Week 16 against Atlanta.--Will Brady
Source: Arizona Cardinals

December 21, 2025

Arizona Cardinals running back Michael Carter is expected to be the lead back heading into the Week 16 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. The Cardinals' backfield has been strung by the injury bug this season. The latest player to fall was Bam Knight (knee), who was placed on the injured reserve after exiting last week's game with a knee injury. Now, Carter figures to take over as the lead back for the final few games of the regular season while Emari Demercado is set to operate as the No. 2 option. Last week, Carter rushed the ball 14 times for 56 yards, while hauling in four receptions for 38 additional yards through the air in the loss to the Houston Texans in relief of Knight. Carter has a decent matchup in Week 16 against an Atlanta Falcons defense that ranks in the middle of the pack in terms of points allowed to RBs. The assumption is that Carter will see a large enough workload to offer RB2 value in all formats for this Week 16 contest.--Andy Webb
Source: Pro Football Reference

December 21, 2025

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (heel) is expected to play in Sunday's Week 16 contest against the Atlanta Falcons, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. However, he could be at less than 100% as "the team plans to ease him back in," writes Schefter. Harrison is set to return to action after missing four of the Cardinals' last five games. During that time, teammate Michael Wilson has emerged as one of the top-scoring receivers in fantasy football. While Wilson's ceiling and floor will come down a little with Harrison back, it's not a stretch to say that Wilson is a more appealing fantasy option than Harrison this week. With that said, the 23-year-old can still be a strong WR3/flex against a Falcons defense allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to wide receivers in 2025.--Andersen Pickard
Source: Adam Schefter

December 20, 2025

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (heel) will benefit from his team's high-volume passing attack if he's healthy enough to play in Sunday's Week 16 contest against the Atlanta Falcons. Harrison has missed four of the last five games due to various injuries, but he's making good progress ahead of Sunday's battle of eliminated NFC teams. The former first-round pick was limited in practice this week and told reporters that he's healthy enough to play. Assuming he's confirmed as active for Week 16, Harrison should operate as a high-volume WR2. The Cardinals' passing attack has been impressive ever since Jacoby Brissett took over for Kyler Murray (foot). Brissett is averaging 43 pass attempts and 301 passing yards per game as a starter, and he has been a top-12 fantasy quarterback in each of his nine starts. Arizona's high passing volume has allowed Brissett to support fantasy-relevant performances from Harrison, Michael Wilson, and Trey McBride. Therefore, Arizona's game plan and Week 16 game script against the Falcons bodes well for Harrison to deliver a solid fantasy performance. The Falcons have allowed the fourth-most touchdowns and seventh-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers in 2025. Harrison ranks as the overall WR36 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for Week 16, but he could climb into the top 24 once he's officially confirmed as active on Sunday.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

December 20, 2025

Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado is expected to handle an increased workload against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16, but his fantasy outlook remains murky. He is on track to operate as the backup to Michael Carter this week after Zonovan Knight (ankle) was placed on injured reserve. While Demercado was viewed as Arizona's passing-down specialist at points earlier this season, it's unclear whether that remains his role given how well Carter has performed in the passing game lately. Carter has 19 catches over his last five games, whereas Demercado has just 10 catches through parts of 10 games this year. Rather than being a true passing-down specialist, it seems more likely that the 26-year-old will fall into a change-of-pace role, allowing the Cardinals to manage Carter's workload and keep him fresh. Demercado has shown impressive burst in the past, and his 8.3 yards per carry over the last two seasons indicates that he's capable of breaking off big plays. His fantasy value in Week 16 likely hinges on whether he's able to break off any big runs or catches against the Falcons. In other words, he'll need high efficiency to overcome a backup's workload. He currently ranks as the RB51 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for Week 16.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

December 20, 2025

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson should remain a strong fantasy option against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16 despite the potential return of Marvin Harrison Jr. (heel). Harrison, listed as questionable, is working his way back from missing four games in the last five weeks. Wilson has been at his best when Harrison is inactive. During those four games, he averaged a whopping 15.0 targets, 10.3 catches, 124.8 yards, and 0.8 touchdowns. Harrison's potential return would certainly lower his ceiling and floor, but he can still be a viable fantasy starter, especially with Jacoby Brissett throwing the ball at least 40 times every game. Wilson has low-end WR1 upside if Harrison sits out, and he'd be a low-end WR2 or high-end WR3 with Harrison playing. Even if Harrison suits up, we wouldn't be surprised to see Wilson lead the Cardinals' wide receiver room in snaps, targets, catches, and yards, given how well he has played lately. He ranks as the overall WR15 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for Week 16.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

December 20, 2025

Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride remains a top fantasy option despite a difficult matchup against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16. On paper, it may appear that the odds are stacked against McBride. Not only is he facing a Falcons defense that has allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to tight ends in 2025, but he could also face additional competition if Marvin Harrison Jr. (heel, questionable) returns from his two-game absence. However, McBride has consistently established himself as matchup-proof this year, so he should feast despite facing Atlanta. Furthermore, he could still lead the team in targets and catches, even if Harrison does return to the mix. In total this year, the 26-year-old has 105 catches, 1,071 yards, and a career-high 10 touchdowns. He is on track to finish this year as the overall TE1 in PPR leagues after finishing 2024 as the TE2. McBride has especially benefited from the presence of quarterback Jacoby Brissett. In full-PPR leagues, he averaged 12.5 fantasy points per game with Kyler Murray (foot) as the starter, and a whopping 23.3 fantasy points per game with Brissett as the starter. We should expect more otherworldly, video-game numbers from McBride this week. He's the undisputed TE1 in this week's fantasy rankings and should be a must-start as the fantasy playoffs continue.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

December 20, 2025

Arizona Cardinals running back Michael Carter should lead the backfield against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16, reinforcing his fantasy value as a low-end RB2 or high-end RB3 in fantasy football. Carter will handle a larger workload this week after Zonovan Knight (ankle) was placed on injured reserve. After Knight exited last weekend, Carter played a season-high 80% snap share with 14 carries, 56 rushing yards, four catches, and 38 receiving yards. The 26-year-old is likely headed for similar volume this Sunday, but we also wouldn't be surprised if Emari Demercado eats into his workload slightly. Nevertheless, Carter should remain the clear No. 1 back heading into a favorable matchup against the Falcons, who have allowed the 13th-most rushing yards and 14th-most fantasy points to opposing running backs in 2025. A spread of ATL -3.0 also indicates that this should be a competitive game, which is another reason why we expect Carter to see a healthy dose of carries and targets. He ranks as the overall RB25 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for Week 16.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

December 20, 2025

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett has filled in admirably for Kyler Murray (foot), and he remains a strong fantasy option ahead of Sunday's Week 16 contest against the Atlanta Falcons. The veteran quarterback wasn't expected to have any fantasy relevance coming into this season, and even when he took over as the Cardinals' starter, expectations were quite low. However, he has been a pleasant surprise for fantasy managers, ranking as a top-12 quarterback in all nine of his starts this year. Since replacing Murray in Week 6, he is the overall QB3 in fantasy scoring, trailing only Josh Allen and Trevor Lawrence. He already has talented receiving threats available in Trey McBride and Michael Wilson, and he could get additional reinforcements with Marvin Harrison Jr. (heel) listed as questionable. Harrison is working his way back after missing four of the last five Cardinals games. Having all three of his top targets available would give Brissett an extra boost against the Falcons, who rank near the middle of the league with the 16th-most fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks in 2025. Just last week, Atlanta's defense surrendered 277 passing yards and two touchdowns to Baker Mayfield. As it stands, Brissett is the overall QB7 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for Week 16.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller