The Arizona Cardinals have been without QB Kyler Murray so far in 2023 as he works his way back from a season-ending ACL injury last year. With Cardinals’ fans and fantasy football managers both awaiting his return, will Murray be playing in Week 8? Let’s take a look at the latest regarding Murray’s status for this week and the fantasy implications for Cardinals players.
Is Kyler Murray Going To Play in Week 8?
We will need to wait a little bit longer to see Murray in action, as we have had it confirmed that he will not be playing in Week 8. Hopes of a return were boosted when Murray was not only a full participant at practice on Wednesday but actually removed from the Cardinals’ injury report altogether on Thursday.
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However, Murray was listed as doubtful on Friday’s game status report, indicating he would likely not play. That was confirmed on Saturday when the Cardinals chose not to activate Murray. That means he will remain on the designated to-return list for another week at least. The Cardinals still have another two weeks to decide on Murray’s return, with Week 10 being the latest he can be activated.
Once the Cardinals designated Murray to return to practice before Week 7, they had 21 days to activate him to the full roster. If they do not activate him, then he will be placed on season-ending IR, which is unlikely to be an issue. The deadline for that activation is before Wednesday of Week 10. That means we could either see Murray return next week or when the Cardinals face the Falcons in Week 10.
Fantasy Implications of Murray’s Status in Week 8
Joshua Dobbs has not been a disaster for the Cardinals by any means. While the team is 1-6, we have seen some strong fantasy performances from this offense, with Dobbs having his moments and WR Marquise Brown still being more than usable. It is unlikely that Murray will be a downgrade on Dobbs in terms of providing value to this offense. He may be a little rusty to start, but there is little question he has more natural talent.
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Naturally, when Murray replaces Dobbs, it will end any fantasy value for Dobbs, while Murray should have a higher weekly ceiling. Both are capable of using their legs, but if Murray is uncertain at first about running with the ball, he may not be a major fantasy upgrade on Dobbs in the first couple of weeks. However, as his confidence builds, the gap between the two will grow.
Murray should help the WR options for the Cardinals have more value as well. He is a slightly more dynamic passer than Dobbs, but the gap is not as big as you might think. Suddenly expecting the Cardinals WRs to see a 20% or more boost in value with Murray would be a mistake for fantasy managers.
The Cardinals RBs should not see any major change in value. We have seen Dobbs’ willingness to use his legs, and he has found the end zone a couple of times. Murray will have a similar style once he gets settled. Having a mobile QB can be a blessing and a curse for RBs. It can open up opportunities as the defense has to account for the QB as a runner, but it can also be a negative if they snipe QBs from the backfield.
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