Most valuable Arizona Cardinals of 2016 fantasy football
By Ari Kadoch
The Arizona Cardinals have a lot of options when it comes to fantasy football in 2016
It’s that time of the year again. Fantasy Football lovers begin their part-time jobs as Owners, General Managers, and Head Coaches of their own virtual football team. Now, it’s still a little early, but the first game of the preseason is this Sunday. Which means that your role as the General Manager starts now.
Being a fan of your Fantasy team and your favorite team in the NFL are two different things. But you never want to have conflicting rosters/schedules (although somewhat unavoidable) that force you to select which one of your teams to root for. Therefore, I created a guide for us Arizona Cardinals fans that lists the players that I believe will shine and perform successfully in the 2016 Fantasy season.
Quarterbacks
Carson Palmer (2015 QB Ranking: 5th) – Carson Palmer had a great season last year, throwing for 4,671 yards with 35 TDs. I expect him to perform just as well this season and rank among the top 5 QBs once again. Palmer’s weapons just keep getting finer and wiser. Young players in John Brown, J.J. Nelson, and David Johnson will help him in the passing game as well as moving the chains. He will be a sure-fire QB1 as long as he stays healthy. I recommend drafting him in around the 8th-10th round.
Running Backs
David Johnson (2015 RB Ranking: 7th) – David Johnson ranked 7th among all RBs last season despite starting the season as the 3rd string back. With help from Andre Ellington and Chris Johnson, who both suffered severe injuries, David Johnson rose to stardom. He will be the team’s starter and should be a starter on your Fantasy team as well. He might not get the bulk of the carries like he did last season because CJ2K and Ellington are healthy, but he should still perform well enough to land him in the top 8 RBs. I recommend drafting him in the 2nd round.
Chris Johnson (2015 RB Ranking: 33rd) – CJ2K is coming off a great season that ended abruptly due to injury. With David Johnson’s performance, he basically leapfrogged over CJ into the starting spot. CJ will be a wait-and-see type of player coming into the 2016 Fantasy season. He should be drafted at the last rounds or not at all (Picked up in FA if he suddenly performs).
Wide Receivers
Larry Fitzgerald (2015 WR Ranking: 10th) – Fitzgerald’s greatness really shined last season. There’s a reason he is the most Cardinals player. And Fantasy Owners should show him some love as well. I believe he will perform as a WR1/2 and should be drafted around the 7th round if still available.
John (Smokey) Brown (2015 WR Ranking: 23rd) – Smokey had a good season last year as well. He lacked consistency at times but made up for it with his home-run play ability. He can be used as a WR2/3 and should be drafted around the 8th round.
Michael Floyd (2015 WR Ranking: 32nd) – Floyd had a very slow start to the 2015 season but ended the second half of the season with a BANG! I believe that his top play from last season will resume coming into this season. He can be used as a WR2/3 and drafted around the 8th round, similarly to Smokey.
As for Tight Ends, I would avoid drafting any Cardinal. If Darren Fells or Jermaine Gresham begin to put up consistent points, pick them up from the waiver wire!
Kickers
Chandler Catanzaro (2015 K Ranking: 7th) – Kickers can be a real pain in Fantasy. Catanzaro is one of those kickers that will give you consistent points and put a smile on your face. He is a player that you pick in the last round of your draft.
I hope that this guide provided you some tips on how to combine your love for the Arizona Cardinals with your love for Fantasy Football. Good luck!