Is Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Christian Kirk a must-start in fantasy football this week? He has 40 catches for 545 yards and 4 touchdowns. Kirk is showing the world why he should be one of the most highly valued players if he reaches free agency after the season. He is the WR20 in standard scoring and the WR24 in points per reception (PPR) scoring. Is it sustainable, though, and should you trust Kirk in your Week 10 fantasy lineup?
Christian Kirk is a huge part of the passing offense
DeAndre Hopkins was expected to dominate targets (as he often does), but that hasn’t been the case. He does lead the team with 49, but three other wide receivers also have over 40. Kirk is second with 48 targets, although he has played one game more than Hopkins.
Perhaps surprisingly, A.J. Green and Rondale Moore have 43 and 40 targets, respectively. The Cardinals are spreading the ball around, and it’s helped the team surge to a league-best 8-1 record.
Arizona’s WR depth still unknown heading into Week 10
Kirk is the only one of those players who has played in every game this season. In Week 9, he benefited from the absence of Hopkins (hamstring injury) and Green (COVID-19). Green is available for Week 10 and is expected to play. On the other hand, Hopkins has missed practice all week and could be forced to spend another game on the sideline.
Head coach Kliff Kingsbury has said that both Hopkins and Moore (concussion) will be game-time decisions. If Hopkins is out, then it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Kirk lead the team in catches, targets, and receiving yards once again.
Christian Kirk could see plenty of Stephon Gilmore in Week 10
Kirk gets a tough matchup against the Carolina Panthers this week. They have allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers in both standard and PPR scoring. Stephon Gilmore, the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year who the team acquired in a trade with the New England Patriots, has impressed since his arrival.
Kirk could find himself matched up with Gilmore more often than fantasy managers would ideally like, especially if Hopkins is out. Kirk is still talented enough to make plays, and volume should give him a relatively safe floor. Yet, managers target weak pass defenses each week, and the Panthers aren’t one of those.
Kirk’s fantasy outlook without Kyler Murray in Week 10
The task could be made more difficult by the injury concerns surrounding quarterback Kyler Murray. Murray missed the Week 9 victory over the San Francisco 49ers with an ankle injury. He returned to practice on Friday in a limited capacity, and the Cardinals will be hoping he’s available for Sunday. It’s expected to be a game-time decision, though.
Kirk performed well in Murray’s absence. He linked up well with backup QB Colt McCoy, catching his 6 targets for 91 receiving yards. He also threw a pass of his own, which went for 33 yards. While it’s unrealistic to expect passing yards every week, the fact that Kirk can provide a trick play is encouraging.
The chemistry with McCoy was good to see, but it was a low-volume passing game for the Cardinals’ offense, which leaned heavily on running back James Conner. Christian Kirk is the WR22 in our Week 10 wide receiver rankings.