Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, November 29th at 1:00 PM ET
Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
Betting Odds: ARI-2, 48.5 total via Oddsshark
Network: FOX
Arizona Cardinals
Quarterback
Kyler Murray (Start, QB1)
Kyler Murray injured his throwing shoulder in last Thursday’s game against the Seahawks, but he still managed to sneak in the top-12 fantasy quarterbacks for the week. Murray, the league’s top-scoring QB, has finished as a weekly QB1 in all ten of his starts this season. He is the only signal-caller to finish inside the weekly top-12 in every game he’s played. It is a remarkable feat of consistency and a record to keep an eye on. The Patriots are a solid defense and will certainly have a plan to defend Murray, but keeping an eye on his health is more important than his opponent. All signs point to a healthy start and Murray is the QB1 this week.
Running Backs
Kenyan Drake (Start, Flex), Chase Edmonds (Start, Flex)
Kenyan Drake and Chase Edmonds split snaps again last week, for the second week since Drake returned from injury. This appears to be the new normal and that makes both players viable as weekly flex starts. Drake remains the early-down back but his days of collecting 20+ carries may be in danger without an injury to Edmonds. Edmonds continued to see work as a pass-catcher, including a short receiving TD and he is a must-own player for managers collecting depth on the bench. However, both players have a limited upside because Murray is the primary ball carrier in the red-zone. This week against the Patriots is a neutral matchup, New England is allowing 120 yards and one TD per game on the ground. With the amount of work, both players are getting an RB3 or flex-start is viable.
Wide Receivers
DeAndre Hopkins (Start, WR2), Christian Kirk (Start, WR3)
DeAndre Hopkins has six career games against the Patriots, averaging less than 70 yards per game and he’s never scored a touchdown. While he is with a new team this season he still should be shadowed by Stephon Gilmore. Temper your expectations for a blow-up game from Hopkins. That doesn’t mean he belongs on your bench but DFS managers should pivot away from him this week. Christian Kirk enjoyed a three-game stretch where he scored five touchdowns a few weeks back but he is back to being the WR3 we have become used to seeing. Without a touchdown, which is difficult to forecast, Kirk is not a player that managers can count on but can be started if there is a need or injuries to your team.
New England Patriots
Quarterback
Cam Newton (Start, QB1)
Cam Newton went through a stretch where we all questioned whether or not he was done. However, from a fantasy aspect, he has bounced back with weekly top-12 finishes in three of his last four games. While it hasn’t always looked pretty, he has been asked to throw the ball plenty. Arizona has allowed multiple touchdown passes in seven of ten games. Look for Cam to throw the ball plenty this week and continue his strong fantasy season. One thing to note, this week could be tough for Newton on the ground. The Cardinals have been solid, allowing less than 40 yards per and just one rushing touchdown to QBs.
Running Backs
James White (Start, RB2), Damien Harris (Sit, RB3), Sony Michel (Sit)
The Patriots’ backfield continues to give fantasy managers headaches but since it has also been productive it warrants attention. Rex Burkhead suffered an ACL injury and will miss the remainder of the season. His injury clarifies James White‘s role in the backfield and he should see an uptick in his opportunities in the next few weeks. Without Burkhead, White will see an increased snap share, targets and he may even be able to find the endzone this week, for the first time this year. The Pats may also be forced to throw the ball more to keep up with this Cardinals offense. This is a nice spot for White owners.
However, Sony Michel was activated off IR last week and his return muddies the waters for Damien Harris managers. Michel has a nice start to his season before being forced to the sidelines and he has plenty of history with the franchise. Harris has been solid but not spectacular like we were lead to believe by beat writers coming out of camp. The smart move would be to keep both on your bench until we see how this situation plays out.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Jakobi Meyers (Start, Flex), N’Keal Harry (Sit), Damiere Byrd (Sit)
Jakobi Meyers should continue to act as the de facto lead receiver for the Patriots and Arizona is a tasty matchup. In a game where the Patriots are expected to pass early and often, Meyers could be a sneaky flex play this week. N’Keal Harry collected eight targets last week but still did very little with them with just 41 yards. Harry has one receiving touchdown but his 41 yards were his second-highest total on the year. Harry should be on your bench, if not on your waiver wire. Speaking of waivers, don’t let the big game from Damiere Byrd fool you out of your FAAB dollars. Byrd’s 6/132 performance, including a touchdown, looked more like a gameplan situation than a glimpse of things to come.
-Marc Salazar (@dingwog on Twitter)