Week 11 vs. Oakland Raiders
Josh Rosen struggled against the Chiefs last week, putting up only 208 yards and a touchdown to go with a pair of interceptions and five sacks. Rosen has steadily been improving throughout the season though and new offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich looks more willing to use the young rookie.
This week, Rosen faces a vulnerable Raiders defense that allows the 10th-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks this year and made Nick Mullens look like a pro bowl player just two weeks ago. Rosen is too risky to count on, as he hasn’t done much yet in his young career, but his progress should be monitored in a great matchup, and he has some low-end QB2 potential with so many byes this week.
Week 10 at Kansas City Chiefs
Josh Rosen led the Cardinals to a gutsy victory over the 49ers two weeks ago before the bye, with late-game heroics that sealed the win. Rosen also had his best fantasy outing of his young career with 252 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Those aren’t great numbers by any means, but it’s good to see the first-round pick improving.
This week, Rosen faces a Chiefs defense that has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks this season, but starting a rookie on the road doesn’t sound very appetizing after all the struggles we’ve seen from Rosen and the Cardinals offense this year. Rosen is worth watching as the offense continues to develop, but he’s too risky to start, regardless of the matchup.
Week 8 vs. San Francisco 49ers
Josh Rosen struggled against a brutal Broncos pass defense last week, throwing three interceptions and putting up only 194 yards and a touchdown in a lopsided loss. Two of his interceptions were returned for touchdowns, and Rosen ended up with a sprained toe. He’s expected to be okay to start this week, but even against a vulnerable 49ers defense and with a new offensive coordinator, it’s hard to trust a Cardinals quarterback this year.
Week 7 vs. Denver Broncos
Josh Rosen continues to keep the Cardinals competitive, as the Vikings didn’t pull away until the second half and only beat Arizona by 10 points last week. However, Rosen is still not putting up decent fantasy numbers. He finished with only 240 yards and an interception on 31 pass attempts last week. Against Denver this week, there’s no reason to expect Rosen to suddenly become fantasy-relevant. He should remain on waivers in all re-draft leagues.
Week 6 at Minnesota Vikings
Cardinals fans can be excited about Josh Rosen. He’s kept the Cardinals competitive in each of his two starts, including a victory over the 49ers last week. Fantasy owners should not be excited about Rosen. While he hasn’t thrown a pick in either of his two starts, he’s only thrown two touchdowns and has yet to eclipse 200 yards passing. Regardless of the matchup, until we see some production out of the former Bruin, there’s no reason to grab him off waivers outside dynasty league formats.
Week 5 at San Francisco 49ers
Josh Rosen didn’t do much last week, but he showed a little more life than Sam Bradford did in his three starts. Rosen finished with 180 yards and a touchdown pass against the Seahawks in his first career start, but most importantly, kept his Cardinals in the game until the very end with a late-game touchdown pass to Chad Williams. Rosen remains a work in progress and shouldn’t be counted on, regardless of the matchup, but dynasty owners should be encouraged by Rosen’s long-term potential, and re-draft owners should keep an eye on his development as the Cardinals continue to find their groove under a new coaching staff and a rookie quarterback.
Week 4 vs. Seattle Seahawks
Josh Rosen didn’t have a great NFL debut against the Bears last week, completing four passes for 36 yards and an interception in relief of Sam Bradford. Nonetheless, Rosen will take over as the starter this week against Seattle. He has potential and weapons to work with, but until we see production from him, it’s hard to trust him in most fantasy leagues. He’s a speculative add in deep leagues only, and streamers should look elsewhere.
Week 1 vs. Washington Redskins
Josh Rosen is set to ride the bench to start his career, but with starter Sam Bradford still a little banged up and his history of injuries, it’s always possible Rosen could see the field sooner rather than later. Even if Bradford ends up sitting, we advise a wait-and-see approach with the rookie. The Cardinals may have some growing pains and there should be better options available.
Fantasy Upside
Make no mistake, Josh Rosen is ready to play as a rookie, and the presence of Sam Bradford on the Cardinals roster should not preclude the No. 10 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft from starting right away. Rosen, an impressive prospect since his high school days, completed 60 percent of his passes at 7.5 yards per attempt with 23 passing touchdowns and just 11 interceptions as an 18-year-old true freshman at UCLA in 2015. He can have a similar immediate impact in Arizona in 2018, mainly because his outstanding footwork and reliable, pinpoint accuracy at the short and intermediate levels make him an ideal candidate to run a West Coast Offense in the NFL.
Fantasy Downside
According to NFL.com, Rosen lacks "plus arm strength." In addition, the league's scouting report suggests that Rosen will need to quell concerns surrounding leadership and coachability early on in order to establish a strong first impression and get his career off on the right foot. All of this plays into comments from his college coach, Jim Mora Jr., indicating Rosen is easily bored if not mentally challenged.
2018 Bottom Line
If one of the knocks against Rosen is indeed the fact he's "too smart," then incoming Cardinals coordinator Mike McCoy's version of the West Coast offense—which has been characterized as too complicated in past seasons—could make this a match made in heaven. Assuming Rosen earns the starting nod this season, David Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald will provide the rookie with a solid fantasy foundation, even though the offensive line is still a work in progress. Don't be in a rush to invest draft capital, but don't be afraid to make a quick move in free agency if he starts fast.
