Arizona Cardinals VS Miami Dolphins
Week 9 Game Preview
Each week we will be looking at some of the games being played and going position by position discussing if you should start or sit that player.
Each player will be rated as one of the following:
Must Start: These are your elite players that you start weekly despite the matchup.
Should Start: These players have good matchups and opportunities and should be in your starting lineups.
Could Start: These are your fringe starters, the ones that could be in your starting lineup but also could be sat if you have better options.
Should Sit: These players have bad matchups or may not have the opportunities in a given matchup that they usually get, and you should try to sit them on your bench.
Must Sit: These players should not be in your lineup at all; there are better options out there
Quarterbacks
Kyler Murray (ARI): Murray has been providing fantasy owners a very high floor throughout this year due to his rushing ability. Murray has run the ball at least 5 times every game this year and has only had one game where he did not score a rushing touchdown. With that solid floor comes an extremely high ceiling with the passing game. Murray has been up and down as a passer but even his off days so far this year have been salvaged by passing touchdowns.
Tua Tagivailoa (MIA): Tua understandably struggled in his debut last week against a very good Rams defense. This week he draws a slightly better matchup in Arizona but he still should not be trusted in lineups until we see something out of him. The one thing that may tip the scale towards Tua needing to throw the ball more this week is the loss of Myles Gaskin at running back. We will see how Miami plans on using Brieda and Howards but maybe they rely more on Tua without Gaskin in this game.
Running Backs
Chase Edmonds (ARI): With Kenyan Drake out this week this is now Edmonds backfield. Miami is giving up the 7th most fantasy points to running backs on the ground so far this year at 21.8 points per game. Edmonds has not had much opportunity to handle a full workload on the ground but has been showing his skills as a receiver, he has seen less than 6 targets in the last 4 games only once. If those targets continue that gives him a high floor especially in PPR leagues. With the increased workload on the ground, Edmunds is a player that should be in your lineups this week.
Patrick Laird (MIA): It was a bit of a surprise this week to find out that Myles Gaskin would be missing the next few weeks due to injury. The Dolphins also traded for DeAndre Washington from the Chiefs which could indicate it may be a longer injury if they felt they needed more bodies at running back. We will have to see what the practice reports are indicating for who will be the starting running back but Laird is the most likely one to take over now that Brieda is also out. Laird has shown in the past that he can be an useful fantasy asset last year with Miami. Liard has been seeing some touches behind Gaskin and Brieda whereas Howard has been inactive. Laird can be placed in lineups if you have been dealing with heavy injuries or byes at running backs in hopes that he is the primary running back this week in a good matchup against a Cardinals team that is giving up 19.8 fantasy points per game to running backs.
Jordan Howard (MIA): Howard has been inactive since Week 4 and even before week 4 he was incredibly ineffective with the touches he had. Based on the fact that he has been inactive for weeks, it seems the coaches do not want to give him the ball. With that said he could be in line for the goal line work this week and has the chance to fall in the endzone. He has a low floor and a low ceiling and should not be in fantasy lineups.
Wide Receiver
DeAndre Hopkins (ARI): Hopkins has not missed a beat this year moving over to the Cardinals. He should be recovered from the ankle injury that was hampering him pre bye week. Hopkins has seen no fewer than 7 targets in a game so far this season which provides him a solid floor. Hopkins has provided owners at least 10 catches and 100 plus yards or a touchdown in all but 2 games so far this year (one of which was the game his injury held him down against Dallas). Hopkins has the potential to be the highest-scoring receiver each and every week and should be in line for another big game this week.
Christian Kirk (ARI): Kirk is coming off of back to back games with two touchdowns. These two games show the ceiling that Kirk has in any given week. However, his floor is not very high with Kirk having less than 5 catches and 5 or fewer targets in all but 2 games. Kirk is a flex option for a team if you want some upside in your lineup.
Andy Isabella (ARI): Isabella has seen 4 targets only once so far this season so he is not being used much in the passing game. Until he is seeing targets more consistently there are better options at receiver for you to use in your lineup.
Larry Fitzgerald (ARI): Fitzgerald is coming off of his best game of the year, however, he is still the fourth-best option in the passing game behind Hopkins, Kirk, and Edmunds. Fitzgerald is nothing more than a desperation flex play if you need a body that will get you some points but he does not come with much of a ceiling at this point in his career.
Devante Parker (MIA): Parker and the rest of the Dolphins passing game struggled in Tua’s first start. Parker was able to get a touchdown in the game but only saw two targets. He was going against an elite corner in Jalen Ramsey but he draws another tough matchup this week in Patrick Peterson. Parker can be used in lineups as a WR3/Flex play but with tempered expectations until we see him and Tua connect more on the field.
Preston Williams (MIA): Just like Parker you cannot trust Williams in your fantasy lineups until he and Tua start to show a connection on the football field.
Tight End
Dan Arnold (ARI): Arnold is not being used much in the passing game, having never seen more than 4 targets in any game this year. The Dolphins are also the second-best team against tight ends this year only giving up 3.1 points per game to the position. Most teams probably weren’t relying on Arnold to start but he is not a streaming option for anyone looking to stream the tight end position.
Mike Geisicki (MIA):Geisicki has been inconsistent throughout the year and that was before the quarterback change. He is a big body that Tua can rely on over the middle of the field so he could become a safety blanket for the rookie quarterback. Much like all the other receiving options for Miami you want to see the production and connections on the field before you start these options with much confidence.
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