Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, October 4 at 1:00 PM ET
Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Betting Odds: ARI -3.5, 52 total via Oddsshark
Network: FOX
Arizona Cardinals
Quarterback
Kyler Murray (Start, QB1)
Now a weekly QB1 given the rushing floor, Kyler Murray has delivered to fantasy managers that invested 5-7 round draft stock on him. Murray has come out of the gates with a 786/4/5 passing line, not great on the ratios, but has provided 187/4 with his legs. If he can limit the turnovers, which I think he will be able to this week, Murray should be a top 4 play at the position. Fire him up each week and know that no matter the turnovers, his legs should make up for it.
Running Back
Kenyan Drake (Start, RB1), Chase Edmonds (Start, Flex)
Admittedly, Kenyan Drake has not lived up to his Twitter hype that he was prepared to win fantasy managers a championship. After going on a tear to end the 2019-20 season, he has rattled off 219/1 on the ground, but only 5 total catches on 5 targets. That is not what you want from your first round, or early second round, investment. This week he gets Carolina who is allowing a healthy 124 yards per game on the ground. If Drake doesn’t get it going this game, he is being downgraded to an RB2 until further notice, being only a fringe RB1 for me this week with his current usage. Chase Edmonds has been a stead flex play, even if it is a boring play. He has given managers double-digit PPR scoring in 2 out of 3 weeks and has a chance to get more work against a paltry Carolina defense, especially if the score gets out of hand quickly. Fire him up as a flex, especially if you need a fill-in for the many injuries we have had so far in the NFL.
Wide Receivers/Tight End
DeAndre Hopkins (Start, WR1), Christian Kirk (Sit, Questionable), Larry Fitzgerald (Sit), Dan Arnold (Sit)
Oddly, this offense seems so high-flying, and yet only one recommended pass-catcher is a start. The reason why is that Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins have been most of the production. Hopkins has commanded an insane 37 targets through three games, turning that into 32/356/1. If Murray can limit the turnovers, we should see that touchdown total begin to rise, but with a weekly 12 target floor, you are not sitting him at all. Christian Kirk wasn’t very close to playing last week, but when he has played it hasn’t been pretty. He is a sit if he plays as reinjury is possible and he doesn’t provide much upside anyways. Larry Fitzgerald played last week with an injured Kirk and managed 1 catch for zero yards. He has a chance to catch a few balls, but he isn’t someone to rely on. No tight ends have done anything for Arizona, so they aren’t even in the picture.
Carolina Panthers
Quarterback
Teddy Bridgewater (Sit)
Teddy Bridgewater has been averaging a healthy 290 yards per game, which is great for the pass catchers, but not so great for Teddy when you look at his 2:2 TD: INT ratio on the year. That isn’t going to get the job done to be start-worthy anywhere. He could pop off some weeks if he finds his groove in the right matchup. This could be it, but he could also lay another single point dud, which you want no part of. Keep Teddy on the wire for now.
Running Back
Mike Davis (Start, RB1)
Christian McCaffery is still a ways away from playing, and last week we got to see Mike Davis in full form, putting up huge catch numbers for PPR managers. Some may call me crazy, but 16 receptions on 17 targets through two weeks since CMC went down with touchdown upside SCREAMS PPR RB1 to me. I could eat my words come Sunday, but I think you will be happy starting a statistical RB1 in your flex spot until CMC returns. Fire him up without hesitation, and hope he also continues to get the 13 carries we saw last week as well, albeit with an easier matchup this week.
Wide Receivers/Tight End
DJ Moore (Start, WR1), Robby Anderson (Start, WR2), Curtis Samuel (Start, Flex), Ian Thomas (Sit)
So far things have been a struggle for DJ Moore. He had one great week and two duds. The reason I have him as a WR1 here is that I think the game script will play in favor of a high passing volume day. This bodes well for all involved in the passing game for Carolina. I could see DJ Moore popping off for 80 and a score in this one, but also leave enough to go around to the other guys. Robby Anderson has been the real surprise. Not usually known for consistency, Anderson has quietly put together a 20/278/1 season so far, putting him in the WR2 conversation as long as Christian McCaffery is out as the focal point of the offense. Curtis Samuel would normally be a sit for me, but I am intrigued by his involvement in getting four extra touches as a rusher last week. He could have some sneaky flex value here. As is the case with Arizona, the tight ends are out of the picture here.
-Matt Dean (@MattDeanQBList on twitter, mdean8 on Reddit)