Will Arizona wide receiver Marquise Brown fly high this 2022 NFL season for the Cardinals?

The Arizona Cardinals strengthened their receiving group by trading for Brown in the first round of the April draft after losing Christian Kirk to free agency. Kyler Murray reunites with Brown, and it should be pretty good for the team. In 2021, Brown hauled in 91 catches for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns. Last year, no Cardinals receiver amassed more than 1,000 yards. Kirk came the closest, with 982 yards on 77 catches. Meanwhile, the NFL said it has suspended DeAndre Hopkins for the first six games of 2022.

Due to Marquise Brown's reunion with his old friend Murray, the new Cardinals receiver ought to be regarded as a potential top-24 WR. The Cardinals' scheme is far more conducive to throwing than the Ravens'. Keep in mind as well that in 2021, Murray placed among the top five quarterbacks in terms of deep-ball passing rate and deep-ball adjusted completion rate. On 30 deep ball targets in 2021, however, Marquise Brown, unfortunately, had almost as many drops (three) as catches (five).

In his third season with the Ravens, Brown's development accelerated to an exhilarating level. He had close to a 50% increase in targets from 2020 to 2021 (from 100 to 146). That resulted in career-high receptions (91) and receiving yards (1,008). In his 46 NFL games so far, Brown has had 36 catches for at least 20 yards and 21 touchdowns. His yards per reception were the only area where he declined last year (11.1 – 13.0 over his first two years).

Having said that, he had only three games where he caught receptions for more than 100 yards (6/113/1, 9/125/2, and 9/116) thanks mainly to QB Lamar Jackson. In seven games, he had a floor of six receptions. The only game he missed was in Week 11 because of a thigh problem. In PPR leagues, Brown placed 21st overall in wide receiver scoring (227.3).

Marquise Brown 2022 Fantasy Football Outlook

Marquise Brown's move to Arizona is advantageous on two levels. While playing behind a real WR1 (DeAndre Hopkins) may lead to more opportunities vs. single coverage, Brown also has prior experience with Murray at Oklahoma (57/1,095/7 and 75/1,318/10). When the Cardinals want to throw the ball, Brown is prepared to increase the length of his catches. His benchmark should be 100 receptions for 1,300 yards and 8–10 scores. He has an ADP of 53 and is ranked 19th at wide receiver in the NFFC as of early July.

The truth is that Brown will most likely play in the same capacity as Christian Kirk did last season, when Kirk averaged 7.3 targets in games that Hopkins missed or left early. On the flip side, he got 5.0 targets when Hopkins was present. Kirk developed into a No. 3 receiver who enjoys playing in high volumes despite not always seeing deep-ball targets. Brown, however, is one of the league's most dynamic receivers. As such, he should be able to quickly get into a rhythm with Murray because to their shared Oklahoma University experience. It's possible that Brown may help Fantasy managers get off to a terrific start in October before contributing still-impressive statistics in November and December once Hopkins returns.

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It appeared for a few days that Murray might possess one of the finest one-two combos in football. Brown will need to take on a bigger role instead. Fortunately, one expectation in dealing for Brown was that they would have an insurance policy should Hopkins suffer another injury. Looking ahead, Brown will have the chance to become the team's top wide receiver early in the season, but Hopkins' return will restrict his season-long potential.

Recall that Brown placed 22nd among wide receivers last season, but there are certain statistics to note. Brown was 11th in fantasy points per game in 11 games with Lamar Jackson, but 67th in five games when Jackson wasn't playing. His experience with Murray will be important, and Murray's quarterback play will be crucial. Even while we may still prefer to pay WR3 pricing for the former Raven, expecting Brown to provide full WR2 worth is not unrealistic. Pundits recommend selecting him in Round 5.

One recent development, however, is a huge consideration. Marquise Brown was reportedly arrested on Wednesday morning on charges of criminal speeding. According to a report confirmed by the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Keep in mind, too, that Brown started training camp on the non-football injury list while dealing with a hamstring issue. Will these hold him back or possibly cause him to miss a few games? Keep tabs on him and do your due diligence.