December 17, 2025
Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said that wide receiver
Marvin Harrison Jr. (heel) will take part in the team's walkthrough practice on Wednesday, per Tyler Drake of Arizona Sports. Harrison has missed the last two games with a heel injury, but Gannon said he's doing "good." The 23-year-old former first-rounder is expected to play again this year, possibly as soon as this Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16. Harrison has missed four of the last five games with his heel injury, and after undergoing an appendectomy. The Ohio State product has not lived up to his fourth overall draft slot through almost two full NFL seasons. When healthy in 2025, Harrison has been inconsistent with 40 catches, 594 yards, and four touchdowns in 10 games. If Harrison returns this weekend, though, he'll be on the WR2 radar in Arizona's pass-happy offense. We'll continue to keep a close eye on his status over the next two days.
--Keith HernandezSource: Arizona Sports - Tyler Drake
December 17, 2025
Arizona Cardinals running back
Michael Carter is set to lead the backfield following
Bam Knight (ankle) being placed on Injured Reserve. The Cardinals' backfield has been ravaged by injuries this season, and now Carter is the next man up. The 26-year-old played 53 of 66 snaps in the Week 15 loss to the Houston Texans, recording 14 carries for 56 yards while adding four receptions (four targets) for 38 yards as a receiver.
Emari Demercado returned after missing the past three games with an ankle injury, but he wasn't very involved, playing just seven offensive snaps with three touches. Carter is expected to be the every-down back with Knight out of the picture, as he handled 78% of the running back rushing attempts and ran 72% of the routes in his absence. Carter had one game earlier this season with a similar workload back in Week 5, where he was inefficient as a runner with 18 carries for 51 yards, but found the end zone and added five catches (five targets) for 22 yards, finishing with 18.3 PPR points. Carter profiles as a top waiver-wire pickup this week and can be immediately plugged into lineups as an RB3/flex in Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons.
--Kyle McCarthySource: Pro Football Reference
December 16, 2025
The Arizona Cardinals announced on Tuesday that they placed wide receiver
Andre Baccellia (neck) on Injured Reserve, ending his season, according to Zach Gershman of AZCardinals.com. Baccellia was carted off the field and sent to a local hospital after a scary collision on a kickoff return in Sunday's loss to the Houston Texans. The 28-year-old was released from the hospital and flew back with the team, but he won't play in the final three weeks of the season. The depth of Arizona's receiving corps has been tested with injuries to Baccellia,
Zay Jones,
Simi Fehoko,
Marvin Harrison Jr.,
Greg Dortch, and
Xavier Weaver, leaving
Michael Wilson as the only healthy wideout on the 53-man roster. If Harrison misses another game with a heel injury in Week 16 against the Falcons,
Jalen Brooks could be Arizona's WR2 behind Wilson.
--Keith HernandezSource: AZCardinals.com - Zach Gershman
December 16, 2025
The Arizona Cardinals announced on Tuesday that they placed running back
Bam Knight (ankle) on Injured Reserve, which will end his season. Knight was carted off the field in Sunday's loss to the Houston Texans and is nursing a "bad sprain." The 24-year-old took over lead-back duties after both
James Conner (foot) and
Trey Benson (knee) suffered injuries earlier this season. He hasn't been very efficient (3.3 yards per carry) on a team-high 82 rushing attempts this year, but he currently leads the Cardinals with 269 rushing yards while also scoring four touchdowns on the ground. In the final three weeks of the season, fantasy managers should expect
Michael Carter to take over on early downs for the Cardinals, with
Emari Demercado serving in the pass-catching role in a pass-happy offense. Knight can safely be dropped in redraft leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: Arizona Cardinals
December 16, 2025
Arizona Cardinals running back
Emari Demercado had one carry for a yard in Sunday's 40-20 loss to the Houston Texans in Week 15. Demercado also had two catches for zero yards on three targets. The 26-year-old had a quiet performance in his first game back after missing three games due to an ankle injury.
Bam Knight (ankle) was carted off the field early on Sunday and was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
Michael Carter then slid into the RB1 role and dominated carries the rest of the game. With the Cardinals unsure of Knight's status for Week 16, Demercado could be in for a bigger workload against the Atlanta Falcons. If Knight can't play next week against the Atlanta Falcons, Carter and Demercado would split work in the backfield. It is worth noting that Demercado had out-snapped Carter in two consecutive games before suffering his own ankle injury. Heading into Week 16, Demercado is worth monitoring on waiver wires ahead of his matchup against the Falcons.
--Wyatt McClintockSource: RotoBaller
December 15, 2025
Arizona Cardinals running back
Michael Carter had 14 carries for 56 yards in Sunday's 40-20 loss to the Houston Texans in Week 15. Carter also had four catches for 38 yards on four targets. The 26-year-old was the next man up in the Cardinals' backfield after
Bam Knight (ankle) was carted off the field early in the game. Carter was able to step into the Cardinals' RB1 role and display his versatile skill set in the run and pass games. With the Cardinals unsure of Knight's status for Week 16, Carter's fantasy stock is rising and should be on fantasy managers' radars. If Knight can't play next week against the Atlanta Falcons, Carter and
Emari Demercado would split work in the backfield. Carter could be in for a bigger role in the Cardinals' offense and is worth picking up off the waiver wire going into Week 16.
--Wyatt McClintockSource: ESPN
December 15, 2025
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver
Michael Wilson caught five of his 11 targets for 54 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's Week 15 loss against the Houston Texans. Wilson continues to step up in the Cardinals' offense and produce good numbers with
Marvin Harrison Jr. (heel) sidelined. In four games without Harrison on the field, Wilson has seen double-digit targets in each game and has hauled in at least 10 catches in three of those games. Over the last five weeks, Wilson has seen the most targets in the NFL and has averaged 13.4 targets per game. As long as Harrison is sidelined, Wilson should be deployed as a strong WR1 option in fantasy football. Even when Harrison returns, Wilson is still a high-end WR3/flex with WR2 upside. Arizona will face a more favorable matchup in Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons.
--Wyatt McClintockSource: ESPN
December 15, 2025
Arizona Cardinals quarterback
Jacoby Brissett has quietly been putting together strong numbers since taking over as the starting QB in Week 6. Since he took over for the injured
Kyler Murray (foot), Brissett has thrown at least two touchdowns in every game except one. The 33-year-old has surpassed 300 passing yards in three of his last five contests. Brissett is posting strong numbers in this pass-heavy Cardinals offense. It has helped that the Cardinals have been playing from behind quite often, forcing Brissett to pass frequently. Fantasy managers in need of a streaming option for Week 16 should take a hard look at Brissett. He'll draw a plus matchup against the Atlanta Falcons defense this weekend. Brissett has been posting nearly top-10 QB numbers every week since he took over under center, and he is a viable option for fantasy managers in need of help.
--Andy WebbSource: Pro Football Reference
December 15, 2025
The Arizona Cardinals are unsure if running back
Bam Knight (ankle) will be able to play in Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons, according to Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic. "Not sure. It's an ankle, though. He was sore today," head coach Jonathan Gannon said when asked if he expects Knight to play this week. The 24-year-old was carted off the field in Sunday's loss to the Houston Texans and is believed to be dealing with a "bad sprain." The diagnosis alone should lead fantasy managers to believe that Knight probably won't play in Week 16, especially with the Cardinals eliminated from playoff contention. It wouldn't be a surprise if Knight doesn't play in the final three weeks of the season.
James Conner (foot) and
Trey Benson (knee) are out for the season, so the backfield would be split by
Michael Carter and
Emari Demercado if Knight is unable to play against Atlanta. We should have a better idea of Knight's Week 16 status in a few days.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Arizona Republic - Theo Mackie
December 15, 2025
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Arizona Cardinals running back
Bam Knight (ankle) is trending toward being inactive for Week 16's home game in Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons. Knight was out there for just one snap in the team's 40-20 loss to the Houston Texans, handling one carry for negative two yards before injuring his ankle and being carted off the field. Schefter notes that Knight will undergo an MRI on Monday to assess the severity, although it's being described as a "bad sprain." It's good news that initial testing revealed no breaks. Either way, it seems that his chances of suiting up against the visiting Falcons are slim at best. Teammate
Michael Carter stepped up in Week 15 (14/56), with the 24-year-old unable to continue, though it's possible he splits more work with
Emari Demercado as the latter regains health from an ankle injury of his own.
--Alex CiullaSource: Adam Schefter
December 15, 2025
After missing three games with an ankle injury, Arizona Cardinals running back
Emari Demercado returned to the lineup in Week 15 against the Houston Texans. The 26-year-old played a minimal role against Houston, recording one scrimmage yard on three touches. However, Cardinals running back
Bam Knight (ankle) suffered an ankle injury that knocked him out of the game and required him to be carted off the field. If Knight misses further time, Demercado could step into a more prominent role in the Arizona backfield alongside
Michael Carter, who led the team with 18 touches in Week 15. Across 10 games this season, Demercado has racked up 306 scrimmage yards and a touchdown on 42 touches. Before suffering the ankle injury, he had out-snapped Carter in two consecutive games. The Cardinals' backfield remains one of the league's more difficult lineup situations to parse. Still, Demercado could be a player to target on the waiver wire heading into his Week 16 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
December 15, 2025
The Arizona Cardinals' running back room got a little thinner after their 40-20 Week 15 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday, as running back
Bam Knight (ankle) was carted off the field and did not return.
Michael Carter stepped up as the team's primary running back, and after Knight's departure, he had 78% of the backfield carry share, a 10% target share, and got the only carry inside the 10-yard line. He finished the contest with 14 carries for 56 yards (4.0 YPC) and hauled in all four of his targets for an additional 38 yards, and will have fantasy value moving forward, as he appears to be their No. 1 running back option if Knight misses any extra time and would become a must-add off the waiver wire. The Cardinals take on the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16 and the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17. It will be important to monitor Knight's status, as that will determine Carter's overall value moving forward. Still,
Trey Benson (knee) was not activated from the IR on December 10, and because of that, his season is over, leaving Carter as the only healthy option at this time.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: RotoBaller
December 14, 2025
Arizona Cardinals quarterback
Jacoby Brissett went 27-for-40 for 249 yards with three touchdowns and one interception in his team's 40-20 Week 15 loss to the Houston Texans. Brissett also had three carries for six yards on the ground. Arizona's pass-happy offense continues to allow Brissett to post solid numbers week in and week out. The 33-year-old veteran has now thrown at least two touchdown passes in his last eight of nine games. Brissett has also thrown at least 40 passing attempts in his last six games and has thrown over 245 yards in every game he has started this season. If the Cardinals continue to play in pass-heavy game scripts, Brissett profiles as a viable starting fantasy quarterback for the remainder of the season. Arizona will host the Atlanta Falcons in Week 15.
--Wyatt McClintockSource: ESPN
December 14, 2025
Arizona Cardinals tight end
Trey McBride had a historic day in the Week 15 loss against the Houston Texans, recording 12 catches for 134 yards with two touchdowns on 13 targets. McBride became the first tight end in NFL history with at least 100 receptions in consecutive seasons, and set a new NFL record for most consecutive games, 16, with at least five receptions.
Travis Kelce had previously set the record in 2018 with 15 straight games, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN. McBride's Week 15 performance is further magnified by his dominance against one of the best defenses in the NFL, highlighting his historic play in 2025. The 26-year-old has now hauled in 105 receptions for 1,071 yards and 10 touchdowns on 140 targets across 14 games this season. As long as McBride remains healthy, he profiles as the number one tight end in fantasy football by a healthy margin. Arizona will host the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16.
--Wyatt McClintockSource: Josh Weinfuss
December 14, 2025
According to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com, Arizona Cardinals running back
Bam Knight (ankle) will not return to the Week 15 road outing against the Houston Texans due to an ankle injury. Knight was initially deemed questionable to re-enter the game after he was carted off early on with an ankle injury. However, he'll now miss the remainder of the contest after recording a loss of two yards on his lone carry. Backfield mate
Michael Carter has taken over lead rushing duties in the 24-year-old's stead, and he figures to get the bulk of the work this afternoon, considering teammate
Emari Demercado entered the game with an ankle issue of his own. Depending on the severity of Knight's ailment, Carter could be a hot waiver add over the week ahead.
--Alex CiullaSource: Darren Urban
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