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When is Marvin Harrison Jr. coming back? Will Marvin Harrison Jr. play again this season? Read about Marvin Harrison Jr.'s return date and injury updates for 2025 as of Week 12.
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (appendicitis) missed his first game of the 2025 NFL season in a surprising turn of events due to appendicitis.
Harrison looked to be having a career resurgence after a disappointing start to his NFL journey thanks to quarterback Jacoby Brissett outperforming QB Kyler Murray (foot).
But his production this season will now (obviously) take a hit, as he's not able to play. That said, when will he return? And what's his fantasy football outlook when he's back? Let's dive in.
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Marvin Harrison Jr. Injury Update for Fantasy Football
Harrison underwent emergency surgery for appendicitis before Week 11's game, and was subsequently ruled out. We didn't learn of the operation until after it had occurred, so it came as a surprise to many fantasy managers.
Luckily, the prognosis for this is pretty good. Appendix removal surgery is a routine procedure that rarely leads to complications, especially not for NFL athletes that get a high quality of healthcare services. So he should be fine in the long run.
It's a bit disappointing to see that he'll miss time, though, as he had shown signs of improvement in some areas that he struggled in as a receiver. But the question is not if he'll return this season, but when. He is unlikely to play in Week 12. After that, we're not entirely sure.
He did just get cut open, to be completely fair. The scar he has will likely take time to heal, as will the rest of his body affected by the surgery. Appendectomies tend to take six weeks to recover fully from, but people can often return to school or work within one to three weeks.
NFL players aren't known for taking the maximum amount of time off to heal from injuries, either. And Harrison wasn't placed on injured reserve, so we have reason to believe he won't miss more than four weeks. I anticipate him coming back in Week 14, though a Week 13 return should be possible.
Marvin Harrison Jr. Fantasy Football Outlook
Harrison's prospects are certainly better now that Murray isn't playing any more. Though he's dealing with a foot injury, Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon conceded that he wouldn't be the starter any more, even if he was healthy.
Murray has underperformed pretty badly the past few seasons, and it looks like Arizona is sick of it. His massive deficiencies as a passer were somewhat covered up for by his elite mobility, but that's faded the past few seasons and laid his flaws as a QB bare.
Brissett isn't some franchise savior, but he's at least productive as a passer in garbage time, can play within structure and make throws on time, and has solid arm strength. That's worth quite a bit for his pass-catchers -- both wide receiver Michael Wilson and tight end Trey McBride have had big games with Brissett throwing.
Wilson just had the biggest game of his career, logging 185 receiving yards against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 12. That wouldn't have happened with Murray. Brissett ended his day with 47 completions, an NFL record, and 452 passing yards.
It's likely Harrison would have seen many of those targets had he played. His ceiling could be elevated to that of a fantasy WR2 when he returns, which is certainly better than the flex level production he gave fantasy managers earlier in the season.
Harrison should be in starting lineups when he returns to play, and while he's probably not about to be a league-winner -- that title belongs to McBride -- we could see him handle more targets and catches than he has at any other point in his career, and that matters a lot in fantasy football.
Who Should I Start Tool
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 12 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Parker Washington, Wan'Dale Robinson, Tre Tucker, Jameson Williams, Rachaad White, Jauan Jennings. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 12. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 12 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
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Popular Week 12 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 12 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Parker Washington, Wan'Dale Robinson, Tre Tucker, Jameson Williams, Rachaad White, Jauan Jennings compared to others:
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