The Arizona Cardinals will face the New England Patriots in Week 15. Here’s fantasy football start-sit advice for every Cardinals skill player who has the potential to make a fantasy impact during the game.
Looking for more lineup advice? Head over to our Week 15 Fantasy Start-Sit Cheat Sheet, where we cover every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Kyler Murray, QB
During this three-game losing streak, Kyler Murray has completed just 9 of 30 pressured passes with zero touchdowns and five interceptions. With his rushing numbers trending down, those passing numbers are alarming, even more so when you consider this matchup.
The Patriots, on the whole, are not overly aggressive, but we’ve seen them ramp things up in specific spots, and this could be such a situation.
Four games with at least a 40% blitz rate
Five games with a pressure rate of at least 33.3%
It’s been a coin toss this season if Murray will finish as a QB1 (five such finishes). This week, I have him on the wrong side of that equation, opting to rank his opposing number in this game above him.
James Conner, RB
James Conner has seen at least three targets in nine straight games and has 17+ carries in five of his past seven, making him the owner of one of the most consistent roles in the sport.
Might the Cardinals finally be operating in a positive game script? If that’s the case, I like Conner’s chances of giving you top-15 production against a below-average defense in all metrics.
Conner has cleared 100 total yards in each of Arizona’s past two wins — I think he makes it three straight on Sunday.
Trey Benson, RB
Trey Benson was a logical pick-and-stash option all season long, but James Conner has stayed as healthy as ever, and that has left the rookie on the bench.
Benson isn’t close to stand-alone value (under five carries in each game during Arizona’s three-game skid) and doesn’t need to be held if you need value out of every player. That said, if you have a loaded team and/or a bye this week, I’m very interested in adding a handcuff like this as a luxury piece at the end of your roster.
Marvin Harrison Jr., WR
Rashod Bateman and Diontae Johnson.
Those are two receivers that I’m guessing you’ve spent very little brain power on this season. They both have three finishes inside the top 20 PPR receivers this season, the same number as Marvin Harrison Jr.
The high-pedigree rookie has been disappointing by any measure, and I wish I could tell you that things will trend in a positive direction, but I can’t.
Harrison’s slot rate has declined in three straight games as the layup targets continue to go to Trey McBride, while the first-year receiver is assuming a role that is nearly exclusively made up of highly difficult targets.
On the bright side, Harrison has seen multiple end-zone targets in consecutive games and 12 this season. With 45 catches on 86 targets this season, the hopes of efficiency are gone. So as long as you acknowledge that the upside you’re chasing here hinges on touchdowns, I’m okay with you continuing to bet on Harrison, even if the risk is far greater than we want.
I’m hopeful that New England being ranked 29th in pressure rate (29.8% of opponent dropbacks) allows us to see flashes of a downfield connection between Kyler Murray and Harrison — he’s my WR30 for Week 15.
Michael Wilson, WR
Michael Wilson scored from 41 yards out on Arizona’s first drive last week. He now has a deep reception in three straight games, a run coming on the heels of a four-game stretch that saw him earn a total of one downfield look.
The big play was nice to see and will fuel some of my continued support of Wilson as a long-term asset. Still, I can’t rank him as a Flex-worthy play as we come down the stretch.
The second-year receiver has cleared 6.5 expected PPR points in just one of his past five games, and until we see him earn targets at an average rate, going in this direction comes with more risk than reward.
If we get word that Christian Gonzalez is going to be a full-time Marvin Harrison shadow, the upside case increases here, though I think we’re still looking at more of a DFS play than anything for the final month of this season.
Trey McBride, TE
I continue to rank Trey McBride over Brock Bowers and I don’t feel bad about it in season-long leagues or in dynasty. Is the profile really that different?
McBride has posted three straight top-five finishes at the position, but the production isn’t what I’m tracking. He has at least a dozen targets in each of those games (all Cardinal losses), joining Travis Kelce and Tony Gonzalez as the only tight ends with a run like that since 2000.
He’s getting all of the volume that Bowers does, but with more offensive upside, right? I’m not suggesting that this Kyler Murray-led offense comes without risk, but if you’re giving me plus-level involvement, I’m taking the Cardinals’ offensive trajectory in a meaningful game over that of the Raiders in a spot where losses hold value.