The Arizona Cardinals were able to steal away Kyler Murray from the Oakland Athletics and the MLB, and their franchise cornerstone at quarterback was brought in to help right the ship. As the team has brought in stars like DeAndre Hopkins and J.J. Watt, head coach Kliff Kingsbury has all the right pieces in place to help bring this team back to relevance in the NFC West division.
Murray is one of the league’s best dual-threat options, taking this team to new heights as he gains more starting experience and grabs a hold of the offense. Having weapons like Hopkins, James Conner, Chase Edmonds, A.J Green, and Rondale Moore surrounding Murray, the kind of offensive explosion this team is primed for heading into the 2021 season is what will help keep them afloat in a tough division.
Needing to compete with the likes of Matthew Stafford and Aaron Donald on the Los Angeles Rams, Russell Wilson and D.K Metcalf on the Seattle Seahawks, and George Kittle and Kyle Shanahan on the San Francisco 49ers, this division may end up being the toughest in the league this year. But with how Murray has become the offensive leader this team needs, it is hard to rule the Cardinals out this upcoming season.
2020 Fantasy Statistics
In Murray’s second season in the league, he and Kingsbury teamed up to create one of the league’s most explosive offensive units. With Murray establishing himself as one of the league’s best dual-threat option at QB, he put together a breakout campaign that saw him set career-bests in passing and rushing yardage.
Murray’s connection with Hopkins only grew stronger as the season progressed, with a perfect example of that relationship being on the ‘Hail Murray’ play that saw the Cardinals beat the Buffalo Bills on a last-minute heave from Murray that Hopkins somehow managed to haul in.
A big part of Murray’s success last season was due to the usage of his legs, which involved rushing attempts and fewer sacks taken. Having rushed for almost 300 more yards than in his rookie season and having earned 21 fewer sacks, Murray’s role in the Arizona offense turned into the exact reason why they drafted him.
A mid-season injury cut down on his efficiency last season, but Murray’s 25 rushing attempts inside the red zone played a huge part in his dual-threat abilities, while also showing that Kingsbury and the coaching staff believes in Murray, even through his nine fumbles (4 of which were lost).
Having produced 7.1 yards per passing attempt and 6.2 yards per carry, all eyes were on Murray and his strong fantasy performance, something that should be expected to continue into next season.
2021 Fantasy Projections
Expecting an uptick in passing work and efficiency, while seeing a conscious effort in Arizona’s offensive game plan to limit designed rushing work for Murray, should all be expected outcomes heading into this season. Having seen firsthand what kind of impact a less than healthy Murray has on the Cardinals certainly should make Kingsbury and his staff warier of putting Murray in injury-prone situations.
Outside of Hopkins, the wide receiver core includes Green, Moore, Christian Kirk, and Andy Isabella, and out of this group, Hopkins and Moore project to have the highest ceilings and opportunities to make an impact this year.
For Hopkins, his role as one of the league’s alpha dogs has only grown stronger since his trade from the Houston Texans, and the kind of role he holds has helped this offense grow and provide Murray with a stable target. Hopkins produced the third-most receiving yards (1,407) and tied for the fourth-most receiving touchdowns (6) in ‘20, on an offense that was reliant on running the ball, showing that his role is vital to the team’s success.
Moore may be fighting an uphill battle for earning playing time in his rookie season, but Murray will love to have a speedster to throw to like Moore, especially one that will help open up the playbook even more. Coming out of Purdue, Moore was a threat to take one to the house every time he touched the ball, as his explosiveness and ability to make noise with the ball in his hands is why he is a great fit for Murray and the Arizona offense.
The RB situation is going to be the toughest element of this Cardinals offense, especially with Kenyan Drake out of the picture. As Chase Edmonds and James Conner forming a decent 1-2 combo that will make the rushing attack a bit gross for fantasy purposes, Murray likely will be counted on more to throw the ball.
Rank at Position
While not at the level of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, or even Lamar Jackson yet, Murray is quickly ascending to the upper echelon of fantasy QBs. His high-usage rate will only continue to become more and more concrete as the days go on, and Kingsbury understands what Murray needs to be efficient and help lead this potent offense.
A top-5 finish for Murray to end this upcoming season is a likely outcome, with a small chance of finishing as the QB1 – but he can reach the QB1 level based solely on him beating current rushing projections. Reaching both the 4,000 passing yardage and 40 total TD marks would help catapult him into the top 5, and both metrics are reasonable for him to meet, especially since he fell only 29 passing yards and 3 total TDs short last season.
The Cardinals are in a tough division and will need Murray to produce at 100% each and every week if they want to not get left behind – and the former Sooner can be the fantasy savant that you can roster to win yourself a championship.
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