The Cardinals were not a good team at all last year. They were technically the 4th worst team but had the same record as the 2nd worst team. However, I expect that to change significantly this season. Target the rising Cardinals offence.
Last Season
There's a clear reason last season's offence was so bad. Kyler Murray was out. The former 1st overall pick doesn't get the respect he deserves to start with, but he is a good NFL QB. For most of the season, the Arizona Cardinals were starting backup QBs, none of whom were that good. Even when Kyler came back, it's doubtful he was near 100% since he was coming off of an injury and lacked time to prepare for a new offence. They also didn't have a true alpha wide receiver. Marquise Brown was their top WR and he missed a few games too. Add in a horrible offensive line and it was surprising the Cardinals didn't look worse than they did.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - JANUARY 07: Kyler Murray #1 of the Arizona Cardinals throws a pass over Derick Hall #58 of the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter of the NFL game at State Farm Stadium on January 07, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. The Seahawks defeated the Cardinals 21-20. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Upcoming Season
We saw signs of life when Kyler came back. While he was out, they were one of the worst offences in the league. When he returned, they were better than most teams in the league. This shows how good Kyler is. He should be even better this year with more time to gel with Jonathan Gannon and recover from his ACL tear. A huge deal as well is the addition of Marvin Harrison Jr. He could have the effect on Kyler and the Cardinals offence that Ja'Marr Chase had on Joe Burrow and the Bengals offence.
The Players
Kyler Murray already has a strong rushing floor. Add in the potential for him to lead a strong passing offence and he could easily finish top 5 and has a QB1 ceiling.
James Conner has always been good for fantasy. But now that he should be on a better offence, he has more touchdown upside. For dynasty, Trey Benson could be worth a look for next year and beyond.
Trey McBride averaged 14.9 PPR points with Kyler. For context, Sam LaPorta was the TE1 last season and averaged 14.1. We've seen Kyler support a top 5 TE before so there's a good chance that happens again.
Marvin Harrison Jr. is a top WR prospect who should be Kyler's WR1 from week 1. With such a shallow depth chart, we should see Kyler hypertarget him.
Wrap-Up
The Cardinals had a weak season overall last year, but their mess at QB, their subpar WR corps, and their weak offensive line held them back significantly. The rising Cardinals offence shouldn't only be good for real life, it should give them stronger fantasy players as well.
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