Week 3 – Larry Fitzgerald vs. San Francisco
Larry Fitzgerald bounced back a little from a terrible Week 1 showing, with six receptions and 51 yards despite having to contend with a backup quarterback in play. He should continue to prove that Week 1 was a fluke throughout the season, but it’s unlikely he returns to WR1 status, which he held a few years ago.
Fitzgerald faces a tough 49ers defense this week, but one that was torched by Brandon Marshall for three touchdowns on Sunday night. Unfortunately, it looks like Drew Stanton will probably be the quarterback again this week, limiting Fitzgerald’s value. Expect low end WR3 numbers and if you can look elsewhere, it might not be a bad idea.
Week 2 – Larry Fitzgerald vs. New York Giants
Larry Fitzgerald had a disturbing outing against the Chargers in Week 1, where he was minimally targeted and wound up with only one catch and 22 yards. Fitzgerald really seems to have fallen behind Michael Floyd as the main guy in Arizona, and fantasy owners expecting WR1 numbers from the veteran may be disappointed.
That being said, we don’t think Fitzgerald is done yet! This week, he faces a Giants secondary that looks better on paper than they did against the Lions on Monday night, and Carson Palmer and the Cardinals offense should still be expected to sling it under Head Coach Bruce Arians. WR1 numbers may be a lot to hope for, but we’re still expecting him to be a borderline WR2 or WR3/Flex option in most leagues.
Week 1 – Larry Fitzgerald vs. San Diego
Larry Fitzgerald, now 31 years old, is coming off a pair of down years, finishing with only 954 yards last season and 798 the year before. He did score 10 touchdowns in 2013 however, making him still a viable fantasy talent. Additionally, two of his four best games last year came in the last four games of the season. The Cardinals are hoping that year two of the Carson Palmer and Bruce Arians pairing will look more like the second half of 2013 and less like the first half.
This week, Fitzgerald gets a nice opening day matchup against the San Diego Chargers, who were the fourth worst team in the league in passing yards allowed. We expect both top Cardinals receivers to be top 20 guys this week with such a great matchup, and the veteran gets the nod as our 13th ranked receiver, putting him right in solid WR2 territory.
Fantasy Upside
As the 2013 season wound down, Larry Fitzgerald called it "an average year." He had a team-best 82 receptions and a team-high 10 touchdowns but fell short of the 1,000-yard mark for a second-straight season. The veteran came into the season adjusting to a new role in HC Bruce Arians' offense, with multiple responsibilities and a goal of reestablishing him as a major red-zone threat following his four-touchdown season a year ago. The hope was that Fitzgerald could echo Reggie Wayne's Indianapolis success in a similar spot in Arians' offense. "He's gutted it through half the year hurt," Arians said. "Learning a variety of new positions, I think he's done extremely well. I would have liked to see him get that 1,000 yards for sure, but his touchdowns are up where we want them to be. I'd like to see him get a few more. We'd like to have about a 15-touchdown year out of him. Hopefully we'll have at least 12."
Fantasy Downside
Bleacher Report's Dan Pompei advised his readers earlier this month there are those with the team who believe this is the season that Michael Floyd will take the mantle of Arizona's WR1 away from Fitzgerald, who is getting older and whose future with the club beyond this season is unclear.
Bottom Line
Even if he's not the Cardinals' most productive receiving this fall, Fantasy owners should expect Fitz to continue delivering at WR1 levels because Floyd's emergence makes it harder for opponents to focus on stopping just one threat. Just don't overpay when drafting Fitzgerald.
