Week 7 of the 2022 NFL fantasy football season kicks off with a game expected to be significantly better than the snooze-fests of the previous two weeks. The 2-4 Arizona Cardinals host the 2-4 New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football. If nothing else, these teams have intriguing playmakers on both sides of the ball.
Fantasy managers are especially hopeful this turns into an offensive explosion. Fantasy scoring is down this year, though, making it difficult to project who will break out. Let’s dive into whether you should start Cardinals wide receiver Rondale Moore against the Saints.
Should You Start Rondale Moore vs. the Saints?
With DeAndre Hopkins on the shelf for the first six weeks of the season and Christian Kirk now in Jacksonville, the opportunity seemed golden for Moore to step into a bigger role. A hamstring injury limited Moore’s availability over the first three weeks, and he returned to the lineup in Week 4. Since then, he’s produced at a similar rate as last season despite the void in targets around him.
Moore has caught 16-of-23 targets for 128 yards through three games. He’s catching one more pass per game for 12 more yards than he did in 2021. But his usage is the same, averaging 8.0 yards per reception, and therein lies the disappointing lack of upside in Moore’s fantasy outlook.
Just as the potential harmful return of Hopkins and the addition of Robbie Anderson via trade with Carolina was announced after Week 6, Marquise Brown was added to injured reserve for a foot fracture. Moore quickly went from a plummeting fantasy option to a suddenly relevant one again.
MORE: Week 7 Fantasy RB Start/Sit Recommendations
The best case for Moore is an increase in his own catch rate. Kyler Murray has played poorly this season, ranking as the worst deep ball passer in the NFL and struggling to throw beyond 10 yards. This sudden, drastic change in his efficiency has affected Moore even on short routes. Moore caught 84.4 percent of targets last year but is at 69.6 percent this season.
Considering he’s getting almost three targets more per game, Moore has a bigger upside than last season. He’s a good positive regression candidate even with Hopkins and Anderson added.
Entering Week 7, Moore is ranked at WR28 in our expert PPR fantasy football rankings. His presence should render Greg Dortch unplayable in fantasy leagues and be a true compliment to Hopkins. Anderson’s arrival is unlikely to be significant until at least Week 8, barring a desperation go-route that lands in his breadbasket.
It’s possible Moore isn’t even available in your league. He’s rostered in about 45 percent of Yahoo and ESPN leagues. But with 18 targets in the last two weeks, he’s a high-floor player who will get you some points in PPR scoring.
Our friends at Underdog Fantasy have modest projections for Moore. He has a receiving line of 47.5. With an average of 42.7 yards per game, this would be an above-average game but not one that drastically helps fantasy managers. It’s all about scoring a touchdown.
Considering the Saints have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to receivers and they’re without Marcus Lattimore, the Cardinals should see success through the air. But Moore has only three targets and one reception in the red zone on the season. I think this is the single most hurtful issue on Moore’s resume, even in PPR leagues.
I would opt against starting Moore in your fantasy league if it’s at all possible. He offers little-to-no scoring upside. His PPR value is in the form of a high volume of receptions. He can get there, so he’s not a worst-case starting option, but giving him the nod over a Sunday slate option is a bold and risky choice.