Arizona Cardinals Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Cardinals DE J.J. Watt (calf) is inactive for today's game against the Chiefs. CB Byron Murphy (illness) is active after coming in questionable.

Cardinals DE J.J. Watt (calf) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Chiefs. He missed the entire practice week and looks like a poor IDP bet even if he turns up active. Arizona also ruled out CB Trayvon Mullen (toe), a recent acquisition from the Raiders, and deemed CB Byron Murphy questionable with an illness that sidelined him Friday. The matchup looks pretty favorable for Kansas City offensive players.

The Texans released RB Marlon Mack from their practice squad. He remains well off the redraft radar and certainly isn't a must-hold in dynasty. Houston added WR Chris Conley to the practice squad in a corresponding move.

RB Marlon Mack is expected to join the Texans practice squad, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. That means Mack couldn't find another team willing to sign him to the active roster. We'll see if Mack ends up getting called up in Houston, but he's obviously not a big part of the team's plans. He can be left on the waiver wire. RB Dameon Pierce will open the season as the Texans' lead runner.

The Texans released RB Marlon Mack. If you needed confirmation that Dameon Pierce will open the season as Houston's lead back, here you go. Mack simply hasn't been the same player since tearing his Achilles in September of 2020. We'll see if the 26-year-old gets a shot elsewhere, but he's well off the fantasy radar for now.

Ted Nguyen of The Athletic believes Falcons rookie QB Desmond Ridder is "mentally ready to handle being an NFL starter." Nguyen calls Ridder "a poised, polished prospect who played in a Cincinnati offense that utilizes many drop back concepts that translate to the pro game." He lauded Ridder's reading of defenses and decisive downfield throws in the preseason. Nguyen also acknowledged that the Falcons "seem set" on starting QB Marcus Mariota in Week 1. And it's worth noting that the veteran finished the preseason with the highest Pro Football Focus passing grade in the league (albeit on just 12 attempts across 15 dropbacks). Unless Mariota has the team surprisingly in contention, though, it would make sense for the Falcons to give Ridder a shot this season to see if he can be the future or if they need to pursue a 1st-round QB next April.

Eagles insider Adam Caplan said this week that according to "multiple sources" and "my own eyes," LB Kyzir White was the best player on the field in joint practices with the Browns. White signed a 1-year deal in free agency with Philly, looks poised to start and appears to be the strongest candidate to lead the group in snaps. Rookie Nakobe Dean, meanwhile, remains behind at least T.J. Edwards. There's certainly room for Dean to climb the depth chart this season, but we'd pass on him in redraft outside of deep IDP leagues.

The Falcons cut WRs Auden Tate and Geronimo Allison -- among others -- Tuesday. Each guy has had moments where he stirred minor fantasy interest with previous teams, but neither generated buzz this summer.

The Ravens released RB Corey Clement. He lasted just a few weeks with the team. With RB Gus Edwards (knee) likely to open the season on the PUP list, the Ravens are currently slated to head into Week 1 with RBs J.K. Dobbins, Mike Davis, Justice Hill and Tyler Badie.

The Eagles have been running Kyzir White and T.J. Edwards as the top LBs with the 1st defense in training camp. Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that rookie Nakobe Dean worked in for some 1st-team snaps. The team is also reportedly experimenting with S K'Von Wallace taking some sub-package snaps. We'd bet the Eagles will continue using the preseason to settle out their defensive lineup. White looks like the best current bet to see full playing time among LBs. Dean's quick progression up the depth chart at Georgia -- along with his physical ability -- makes him a player worth betting on. Edwards would carry some IDP value if he hits the regular season as the #2 LB and appears headed for near-full playing time. We'll continue watching how the situation develops.

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray returned to practice on Saturday. He missed 5 days with COVID but still has over a month to go before the season opener. Murray remains a high-upside QB1 in fantasy drafts.

The Cardinals let LB Jordan Hicks walk in free agency this offseason, clearing the way for LB Zaven Collins to enter the starting lineup in Year 2. He has been working there so far in training camp. According to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic, Collins and Nick Vigil have been the starting ILBs in the base defense. Collins has called plays in the huddle at times (green dot) but is also coming off the field in nickel and dime packages. "He's got to be able to diagnose it, see it and go, and not wait on the play to come to him," HC Kliff Kingsbury says. "I think last year he was kind of waiting for everything to unwind. I think he's still learning, but there's no doubt he's reacting faster than last year at this time." There's still time for Collins to earn more of a 3-down role, but we've moved him down our 2022 IDP rankings. The role uncertainty makes him a boom/bust fantasy option. Isaiah Simmons, meanwhile, has shifted to the "star" LB role, which will move him around the formation. Somers writes that he "seems to have a role in every package."

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray tested positive for COVID and will miss at least the next 5 days of training camp, HC Kliff Kingsbury said. Murray is reportedly dealing with "minor" symptoms. It's fortunate timing with Week 1 still over a month away. Assuming no long-term impacts of the virus, consider Murray's fantasy stock unaffected.

The Ravens on Monday reached a deal with RB Corey Clement. Baltimore is opening training camp with J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards on the PUP list, as both work back from summer 2021 ACL tears. We'll see whether Clement can actually compete for a regular-season roster spot.

The Cardinals and QB Kyler Murray have agreed to a 5-year, $230.5 million deal with $160 million guaranteed, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. It makes Murray the league's 2nd-highest-paid QB in terms of average annual salary. So, after early-offseason reports that these sides might be headed for a divorce, Murray is now locked up with the Cardinals through the 2027 season. Murray is coming off a QB5 finish in fantasy points per game.

ESPN's Jeff Darlington reports that contract talks between the Cardinals and QB Kyler Murray are "going smooth and getting a deal before camp remains a very reasonable likelihood." It looked like the 2 sides might be heading for a divorce early this offseason, but cooler heads have prevailed. "The drama of February feels long in the rear view," Darlington adds. Expect Murray to be under center for Arizona in 2022 and likely beyond. He remains 1 of the highest-upside QBs in fantasy football.

The Athletic’s Conor Hughes writes that the Jets “always viewed” RB Michael Carter as “an ideal compliment.” Carter, only ~200 pounds, saw double-digit carries in 8 of 14 rookie-year games and performed well in terms of advanced metrics. The arrival of Round 2 RB Breece Hall crushes Carter’s fantasy upside, but he’s at least the clear #2. He’s also a very fair value in FFPC drafts, coming off the board as the RB42.

Falcons HC Arthur Smith has been impressed by QB Desmond Ridder's football IQ. “He’s very intelligent,” Smith said of Ridder. “There are a lot of things that go into playing quarterback that we ask him to do. Behind the scenes, the things that he has done that have really impressed me are from the neck up. You’re betting on the physical things that you have seen at times to catch up, but he’s light years ahead of most young quarterbacks I have been with from the neck up. I will give him that compliment publicly.” QB Marcus Mariota will head to training camp as Atlanta's starter, but it sounds like Ridder is in position to push him for the Week 1 nod.

Cardinals GM Steve Keim gave his scouting report on rookie TE Trey McBride. “The guy can do it all,” he said. “He can play in-line, he can flex, he can motion, he can play out of the backfield. He’s got tremendous hands and a great catching radius. He’s really strong in a crowd. And his character is off the charts. He’s a three-time captain, a phenomenal leader and we’re just thankful he was there [to draft].” Keim added that McBride was “by far the highest graded [prospect]” at pick #55. Zach Ertz’s contract makes it tough for the team to move on before 2024, so McBride figures to play a part-time role for the foreseeable future.

League insider Albert Breer believes the Cardinals will “find a way to get something done early in the summer” regarding a contract extension for Kyler Murray. Currently, the QB is under team control for 2 more seasons. Only 24, Murray will likely get Josh Allen money on his next contract.