Arizona Cardinals

Season	W/L	ATS	O/U	Pass Yds	Rush Yds	Pass%	Run%	3rd D
2016-17	7-8	6-10	10-6	3,365	1,518	63.26%	36.74%	41%
2015-16	13-3	9-7	9-7	4,616	1,917	56.58%	43.42%	47%
2014-15	11-5	11-5	5-10-1	3,808	1,308	60.38%	39.62%	40%
2013-14	10-6	10-5-1	8-8	4,002	1,540	59.31%	40.69%	34%
2012-13	5-11	6-10	7-9	3,005	1,204	65.39%	34.61%	25%

Season Outlook

Arizona had a rough 2016 season based on their standards, but they still ranked among the top-10 in total team offense. They posted 5,868 total yards, the sixth most points scored and possess one of the most lethal offensive threats in franchise back David Johnson. Johnson was tops in all purpose yards a season ago with 2,188 yards and is expected to be a top-3 fantasy pick this season, which adds value to aging QB Carson Palmer. There haven't been any significant coaching changes, with Bruce Arians still running the show and all of his assistants kept under contract. The Cardinals will continue to run with a West Coast style scheme with plenty of throws downfield. Management left most of the 2016 offense alone during the offseason, re-signing a handful of players at key positions. The offensive line is the biggest question mark of the Cardinals offense, allowing their QB to get hit a whopping 127 times, the third most in the NFL. Long-time Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald saw 150 targets last season and is expected to be the top option yet again. Fitzgerald is a stellar WR2 option with WR1 upside due to age. Speedsters J.J. Nelson and John Brown round out the receiving corps and are locks to be drafted to fantasy teams. Involving Johnson in the passing game takes value away from Nelson and Brown, but nevertheless, the majority of the Cardinals starters are viable fantasy producers.

Player Outlooks & Draft Analysis

Quarterbacks
Sam Bradford Based on what we saw last season the over/under on Bradford starts in 2018 is probably somewhere in the 8-10 range. And that assumes he plays well enough to hold onto the starters job. Josh Rosen didn't have the highest ceiling of the first round quarterbacks in this draft, but he was widely considered the most pro ready, plays with a chip on his shoulder, and should be pushing Bradford from the outset of camp. With the coaching change we may see a shift from the previously pass-heavy offense and it's difficult to think Bradford both begins and ends the season fantasy relevant.
Josh Rosen Rosen probably gets every opportunity to win the job in camp, but Bradford is probably the safer bet to be under center in Week 1. Still, his injury history suggests he probably doesn't play 16 games and at some point in 2018 Arizona will turn the offense over to Rosen, who is helped significantly by the veteran presence of Larry Fitzgerald and the multi-dimensional David Johnson in the backfield.

Running Backs
David Johnson Johnson should get a monster workload and be a fantasy stud this season, but the overall lack of weapons in the Arizona offense could make him wildly inefficient with those touches. Regardless, he's in the top tier of running backs you build around.

Defenses
Arizona Defense The Cardinals finished as the 15th defense last year according to ESPN scoring and we should see them in the same range this season. They were average in most defensive categories, points allowed, sacks, interceptions, and forced fumbles. But with being "average" they weren't necessarily bad either. They have a number of departures in the offseason, Tyrann Mathieu, Karlos Dansby, Tramon Williams, and Kareem Martin. Sacks will continue to be their strong suit, along with their rushing defense, as they finished with the number one DVOA vs the rush. Their losses on the defensive side of the ball could prove to be the downfall for them this season, along with the fact they have a new head coach and new defensive coordinator. They still have plenty of talent, just a matter of limiting the damage, since they have the hardest strength of schedule.

Player Updates

	Christian Kirk, WR - Christian Kirk lands on IR with broken foot 3 Dec 2018 - 3:33pm Cardinals placed WR Christian Kirk on injured reserve with a broken foot, ending his season. - From Rotoworld.
	Josh Rosen, QB - Josh Rosen (toe) not expected to miss time 19 Oct 2018 - 6:24pm Cardinals coach Steve Wilks doesn't expect Josh Rosen (toe) to miss any time. - From Rotoworld.
	Josh Rosen, QB - Cardinals name Josh Rosen new starting QB 24 Sep 2018 - 6:35pm Cardinals coach Steve Wilks announced Monday that Josh Rosen will start at quarterback going forward. - From Rotoworld.
	Larry Fitzgerald, WR - Larry Fitzgerald (hamstring) will play Week 3 23 Sep 2018 - 3:13am Larry Fitzgerald (hamstring) will play in Week 3 against the Bears. - From Rotoworld.
	Chad Williams, WR - Chad Williams opens as Cardinals' No. 3 WR 29 Jul 2018 - 6:25pm Chad Williams opened 11-on-11 drills as the Cardinals' No. 3 WR Sunday. - From Rotoworld.