Arizona Cardinals Daily Fantasy Team Preview

Vegas Projected Win Total - 8.5

The Arizona Cardinals had Carson Palmer healthy for less than half of their games and even had to play without backup Drew Stanton by year's end, but all they did was win 11 games playing in the loaded NFC West and reach the playoffs. Their 2014 season was remarkable, and a healthy Palmer should help with the offense, as should the return of starting running back Andre Ellington, who played in just 12 games. Projecting double-digit wins is tough since the NFC West remains full of talent, and the NFL is topsy turvy year to year, but another run at the playoffs could be in order for this still very talented Cardinals.

Impact Fantasy Players

Larry Fitzgerald - Fitzgerald's peak years are a thing of the past, but he did tie for the team lead in targets and receptions last year, and getting Palmer back will help all pass catchers for the Red Birds. Fitzgerald was once one of the elite wide receivers in the game, but he hasn't eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving since 2011. He did, however, snag 10 touchdown receptions in 2013. He's had a couple inefficient years as measured by yards per route run (YPRR), but he remains arguably the number-one wide receiver on a pass happy team that managed to rank 15th in pass attempts despite playing most of the year with backup signal callers, putting him in daily fantasy consideration whenever the matchup is right.

Michael Floyd - Floyd is inconsistent, but he's capable of monster games. He bested 100 yards receiving in three games last year, including an eight reception, 153 yards with two touchdowns effort in the final game of the regular season. He led the club in receiving yards (841) and touchdown grabs (six). The changing of the guard for top receiver on the Cardinals is underway, but Floyd is wildly inconsistent and can disappear at times (five games under 20 yards receiving last year), making him a boom-or-bust receiver. Thankfully, the pass-happy nature of the offense should keep multiple wide receivers relevant this year in daily fantasy.

Impact Fantasy Rookies

David Johnson - Ellington is a great pass catching back, but he's not built like a traditional bell cow and the club spent a third-round pick on Johnson, who is. Johnson is 6-foot-1 and weighs 224 pounds. The big back ran a solid 4.50 second 40-yard dash at the NFL Draft Combine and checked out well in many of the other measurables when compared to the other backs in this draft class. He was a highly productive runner at Northern Iowa totaling 1,553 yards rushing and 17 rushing touchdowns last year while adding 38 receptions for 536 yards. He eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing and 350 yards receiving while reaching double digits in touchdowns in each of his last three years of college football. He could emerge as the feature back with Ellington serving as his complement.

Storylines

How will Palmer look after coming back from another major knee injury? Thankfully, mobility isn't a big part of his game, but he is 35-years old and it is the second ACL injury of his career. He has his skeptics, but when he's been on the field with the Cardinals, he's been very good. Last year, he was playing at a level we haven't seen him play at since his Bengal days. The veteran signal caller has a talented group of wide receivers to throw to and a couple of backs who figure to both be pluses in the passing game. The result is a quarterback who will be interesting in favorable matchups if he's able to remain healthy, but he's a player worth keeping tabs on during the preseason.

Stock Watch

Up - John Brown

A third receiver getting positive ink from this offense? What is this, the Broncos? No, but as I've said previously, it's a pass-happy team with plenty of football to go around. Also, it's one that rarely uses the tight end, further enhancing the value of each of the wide outs. The rookie actually tied Fitz for the most targets in the offense last year, and his 48 receptions, 696 yards receiving and five touchdown grabs were solid totals that were largely overlooked as a result of how incredible the 2014 wide receiver draft class proved to be. With one year under his belt, he should be up to NFL speed come year two and ready to contribute out of the gate.

Down - Andre Ellington

Last year, the hope was that Ellington could be an every down back. An injury-shortened and mediocre season later, and it's relatively clear he's best served playing in a running-back-by-committee situation. His pass catching skills will help him score points with each reception, and he is an capable runner when he's not over used, but his stock is down from where it was last season.

Projections

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Daily Fantasy Outlook

The Cardinals lack a daily fantasy star, but they are well-rounded and deep. A healthy Palmer has a ton of talent to work with, making him intriguing when the matchup is right. Three wide receivers will have daily value at various times this year, but no one stands head and shoulders above the others as the top dog. The backfield could even provide some value with rookie Johnson looking like a potential primary back and Ellington serving as a solid pass catching complement.