The Kyler Murray injury situation is set to roll on into Week 11 for fantasy football managers. We saw the Arizona Cardinals QB miss last week’s matchup due to a hamstring injury, and with a Monday Night Football game in Mexico this week, clarity on the situation will be key for fantasy managers as they look to make lineup decisions this weekend.
Let’s examine the latest information regarding Murray’s injury situation and break down what it might mean for fantasy managers.
Kyler Murray’s Injury Situation Rolls Into Week 11
When head coach Kliff Kingsbury spoke to the media on Wednesday, he was not certain how his QB situation would look this week. With both Murray and Colt McCoy (knee) dealing with injuries, Kingsbury described them as day-to-day.
However, Kingsbury was non-committal about either definitely being available for Week 11. The coach stated, “I’m hoping at least one of ‘em. I think we should be able to get to that point, hopefully, by later in the week.” Both QBs tested their injuries with a light workout during a walkthrough practice that was closed to the media.
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Murray is seemingly still getting treatment on the hamstring, and his status throughout the week of practice will be intriguing to monitor. His designation coming out of the Cardinals’ final practice session on Saturday will be key for fantasy managers. If he is cleared, then managers should be able to roll with him in their lineup as usual. However, if he is questionable, it will leave a really tough choice for fantasy managers between starting an option Sunday or waiting for Murray on Monday.
Murray himself spoke to the media Wednesday. He revealed then that he initially suffered the injury during the Week 8 game against the Minnesota Vikings. While he played through the issue in Week 9 against the Seattle Seahawks, he tweaked it again during that game.
Murray also added that while he feels better, his style of play makes it tough to play through a hamstring injury, as he has “got to be able to do what I do.” He went on to state that there is “a fine line” when it comes to potentially making the injury worse by playing in Week 11. Murray finished by saying he thinks he is “on the right track.”
Fantasy Implications of Murray’s Injury on James Conner, DeAndre Hopkins, and More
This situation with both Murray and McCoy is absolutely brutal for fantasy managers, with this being a Monday Night Football game. We saw last week that the Cardinals’ offense under McCoy can still be effective. They finished with 27 points, 298 total yards, and three touchdowns, which is a solid return.
McCoy was neat, if not overly explosive, and funneled 23 targets to the combination of DeAndre Hopkins (14) and Rondale Moore (13). Both receivers finished with over 90 receiving yards and double-digit fantasy points in both half and full-PPR scoring. Similarly, James Conner touched the ball 24 times, finding the end zone twice.
However, while Kingsbury suggested that at least one of McCoy or Murray should be ready, there is still a chance we see Trace McSorley under center in Week 11. The former Penn State QB has just 14 career passes, completing five for 102 yards and a touchdown. Therefore, it is hard to read too much into how McSorley would impact the fantasy relevancy of Hopkins, Conner, and Moore.
Murray’s value is also tough to decipher because unless he is fully cleared, there is a chance he could be limited in his actions. The run game and making plays on the move are so important to Murray. Therefore, any limitations could have a significant impact on his fantasy value. Murray has scored more than 25% of his fantasy points this season in the run game, which does not even take into account his output when making throws on the move.
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From the perspective of Hopkins and Moore, as long as either Murray or McCoy trends to playing, both have their normal value. The only QB that would see both of them have a decrease in value is McSorley because he is such a wild card in terms of his passing.
As it stands, those are the only two pass-catching options with considerable fantasy value. If Marquise Brown does return from the IR, it will likely be on a limited snap count. Therefore, it would be hard to throw him back into fantasy lineups.
Equally, Trey McBride was a popular waiver wire name this week after the injury to Zach Ertz, but we need to see his role fully for a week or two before we can commit to him being a starting option.
The run game is also interesting. The release of Eno Benjamin leaves Conner as the clear standout. He should be in line for a 15-20 touch performance at a minimum this week. That level of usage is crucial for Conner because he has been a low-efficiency fantasy provider. The Cardinals’ RB has relied on volume and touchdowns to provide value over the past two seasons.
If either Murray or McCoy plays, there is a lot to be excited about with Conner. With Murray returning from injury, it will be unlikely to have a lot of designed runs for him this week, especially in the tight spaces around the goal line. Meanwhile, McCoy is not known as being someone who runs the ball much, so that helps Conner.
Again, the wild card is if McSorley is under center. We saw in college that he is more than capable of making plays with his legs, so if he has to start, the Cardinals may lean on that frequently. That will have some benefits for Conner, but it could also limit his ceiling in terms of McSorley potentially taking carries away around the goal line.