Arizona Cardinals Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

The Cardinals spent a third-round pick on RB Trey Benson from Florida State. Benson suffered a multi-ligament knee injury as a freshman at Oregon in 2020 and did very little in 2021. He transferred to Florida State ahead of the 2022 campaign and turned in two highly efficient seasons for the Seminoles. Benson averaged 6.1 yards per carry and scored on 7.4% of his attempts across the past two years. An explosive runner with strong contact balance, Benson scored TDs of 80+ yards as a runner, receiver, and pass-catcher at Florida State. He confirmed his elite athleticism by earning a 9.73 Relative Athletic Score at the Combine, highlighted by a 4.39-second 40 time. Benson also showed promise as a pass-catcher over the last two years, catching 32 of 39 targets and averaging 11.5 yards per reception. He averaged just 13.2 touches per game at Florida State but has the potential to garner a bigger workload as a pro. Going to Arizona likely limits Benson's touch outlook for 2024. But it's a solid landing spot for his dynasty outlook. Check our rookie rankings to see where he lands.

The Cardinals spent the 27th pick on Missouri DL Darius Robinson. Through four years, Robinson totaled just 4.5 sacks and 7.0 tackles for loss. He broke out with 8.5 sacks and 14.0 tackles for loss in his fifth season. Robinson should get a shot at early playing time, but beware of his late college breakout.

The Arizona Cardinals spent the fifth pick of the NFL Draft on WR Marvin Harrison Jr. Harrison has looked like a top-5 pick for a while now. The son of the longtime Colt and NFL Hall of Famer, Junior arrived at Ohio State as a four-star recruit. He broke out as a true sophomore in 2022, racking up 77 catches for 1,263 yards, and 14 TDs. He ranked third among 286 qualifying WRs in Pro Football Focus receiving grade and seventh in yards per route. Harrison’s raw production took a slight step back this past year (67-1,211-14), but he set new career highs in share of receiving yards (35.7%), share of receiving TDs (53.9%), and yards per route (3.44). That rate was a better mark than Chris Olave or Garrett Wilson ever managed at Ohio State. Harrison won the 2023 Biletnikoff Award as the top WR in college football. He’s a big-bodied 6’3, 209-pounder but moves like a much smaller man. Harrison consistently creates separation with fluid route running and a high football IQ. And when he’s not “open,” he can win with top-notch ball skills. Harrison looks ready to make an immediate impact in the NFL and ultimately boasts top-5 fantasy upside. He arrives to an offense needing a lead WR. Harrison's arrival boosts the fantasy upside of QB Kyler Murray.

Florida State RB Trey Benson helped his NFL Draft case with a 4.39-second 40 time at the Scouting Combine on Saturday. At 216 pounds, that gives him 98th-percentile speed score for the position. That backs up Benson's 6.1 career yards per carry and 11.2 yards per catch -- nearly all compiled over the past two seasons with the Seminoles. We'll see about his draft capital, but Benson has carried a reasonable ADP in early best ball drafting.

Cardinals TE Trey McBride roped in 3 of 6 targets for 34 receiving yards and a TD in Week 18 vs. the Seahawks. The second-year pass-catcher ends this season ranking seventh among TEs in receiving yards (825), sixth in targets (106), and tied for fifth in receptions (81). This production is even more impressive considering McBride only played in eight games with QB Kyler Murray this season. Moving forward, dynasty managers should consider McBride among the very best at the TE position, especially given he won’t even turn 25 until November 2024.

Cardinals RB James Conner tallied 27 carries for 150 rushing yards and a TD in Week 18’s loss vs. the Seahawks. He also added 4 receptions for 54 yards as a pass-catcher in Sunday’s contest. Injuries have marred the veteran throughout his career, though 2023 marks the first time Conner has been able to amass over 1,000 rushing yards in a season, ending the year with 1,040 across 13 games. Though he’ll play in 2024 at age 29, Conner has averaged no fewer than 15.4 PPR points per game over the past three seasons and should be considered a solid low-cost buy for dynasty managers in contending windows. The only item worth being mindful of is that the Cardinals have a potential out in Conner’s contract that would cost a mere $3 million should they choose to move on from him this offseason.

Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon said Tuesday that there's "no doubt" Kyler Murray is his team's QB going forward. "'Number 1' is our franchise quarterback," Gannon added. Things can change over the course of the offseason. But the 4-12 Cardinals are currently slated to pick fourth in this spring's draft, so they'd need to move up to land USC's Caleb Williams or North Carolina's Drake Maye. Murray's 2023 numbers don't jump off the page, but his play has been encouraging considering he's coming off a torn ACL and learning a brand new offense. He had his best outing of the season in the Week 17 win over the Eagles. We'll see how Murray finishes the campaign in Sunday's finale vs. the Seahawks.

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray completed 25 of 31 passes for 232 yards with 3 TDs and 1 INT in Week 17 vs. the Eagles. He added 24 yards on 5 carries. Murray ranks 12th in fantasy points per game among QBs through Week 17, a solid-to-strong level for a mobile QB coming off an ACL tear. His connection with TE Trey McBride proved stellar and presents a solid building block for the Cardinals moving into 2024. HC Jonathan Gannon has since said Murray will "no doubt" remain Arizona's starter. With $53.1 million in projected cap space and three of the top-35 picks in the NFL Draft (as of now), the Cardinals could rebuild the offense quickly around their QB.

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray (illness) is active for today’s game vs. the Eagles. He only got in a limited practice on Friday this week, but there’s been nothing to suggest that he’ll be limited today.

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray (illness) is expected to play vs. the Eagles today, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Murray only got in a limited practice on Friday, but he's unlikely to be impacted by his illness today.

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray (illness) is listed as questionable for this weekend’s game vs. the Eagles. He only got in a limited practice on Friday, but HC Jonathan Gannon confirmed that Murray is expected to be ready to go on Sunday. We’ll get Arizona’s inactives for that one around 11:30 am ET.

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray has missed the first two practices of the week with an illness. It's unlikely to keep him out of this weekend's game vs. the Eagles, but we'll see if Murray gets on the field tomorrow and how he's listed on the final injury report.

Cardinals WR Greg Dortch (shoulder) is active for today’s game vs. the Bears. He only got in a limited practice on Friday and would be very tough to trust in fantasy lineups.

Cardinals WR Greg Dortch (shoulder) is listed as questionable for this weekend’s game vs. the Bears. He only got in a limited practice on Friday. Dortch can’t be trusted in fantasy lineups if he ends up playing. His absence would leave Michael Wilson, Rondale Moore, and Zach Pascal as Arizona’s top three WRs.

The Falcons will bench QB Desmond Ridder for the second time this season, The Athletic reports. Ridder mustered just 152 passing yards with one TD and one INT in the Week 15 loss to the Panthers. He's at 10 TDs vs. 10 INTs for the season and ranks 32nd among 33 qualifying QBs in Pro Football Focus' passing grades. This figures to be the end of Ridder's tenure in Atlanta. We'll see where he lands in 2024, but it's likely to be as a backup. QB Taylor Heinicke will take back over for the Falcons vs. the Colts this weekend. He's made three appearances this season, registering a 55.4% completion rate and 6.7 yards per attempt. Those marks are both worse than Ridder's this season.

Cardinals TE Trey McBride finished Week 15 vs. the 49ers with 10 catches on 11 targets for 102 receiving yards. The second-year pass-catcher has been nothing short of dominant over the past several weeks. Since QB Kyler Murray returned to play in Week 10, McBride leads all TEs in receptions (7.3) and receiving yards (85) per game and ranks second in PPR points per game (17.3). In that span of five games, he’s also dipped below 60 receiving yards in a game just one time. There’s no doubt that McBride belongs entrenched in fantasy lineups the rest of the way.

Cardinals WR Michael Wilson (neck) was limited in practice all week and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game vs. the 49ers. The rookie has been out since Week 10 and couldn’t be trusted in season-long fantasy lineups if he plays on Sunday.

Cardinals RB James Conner dropped 105 rushing yards and 2 scores on Pittsburgh. He handled 25 carries against his former team, the second most of his career. Rainy conditions (Sunday's game was delayed twice) and a surprise 14-point victory helped Conner handle all but 4 team RB carries. He drew 2 targets (0 catches), but it's worth noting that he topped Michael Carter in routes, 15-4. Week 14 turns up a well-earned bye. An elite 49ers defense awaits following the rest.

Cardinals S Jalen Thompson (ribs) is active for today's game against the Steelers. He entered the day questionable but should be fine to use as planned in your IDP lineups.

Cardinals TE Trey McBride (groin) is active for today’s game vs. the Steelers. He got in limited practices on Thursday and Friday and should play his usual role today.