Arizona Cardinals

Now entering his fifth NFL season, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Greg Dortch may finally have a regular role carved out for himself in 2024. Buzz has been building around Dortch throughout the preseason as he has shown chemistry with quarterback Kyler Murray and demonstrated excellent route running ability. Lauded rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. and third-year tight end Trey McBride are the top two targets in Arizona's offense but Dortch should see a fair amount out of the slot. The Cardinals face the Bills in Week 1 and while Buffalo's secondary will be a challenge, in 2023 they gave up more fantasy points per game to receivers lined up in the slot versus out wide. Dortch projects to be in WR5 territory in Week 1. While he may be worth a flex in deeper leagues, he should be held out of lineups in 10- or 12-teamers.

Arizona Cardinals rookie first-round wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is set to make his regular-season debut on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. During the preseason, the former Buckeye was kept out of harm's way for the most part, seeing only three snaps in all. The fourth overall selection of the NFL draft, Harrison is already listed as the team's WR1 and is expected to have an immediate impact. The Bills won't make it easy, though, as they are the only team returning three cornerbacks with coverage grades of 81.0 or higher from PFF. Still, given the combination of talent, draft capital, and the team situation, Arizona should be feeding Harrison as many targets as possible. Harrison looks like a safe WR2 with upside in Week 1.

Arizona Cardinals running back Trey Benson finished the preseason with 17 carries for 64 rushing yards. The third-round pick out of Florida State was once believed to be a threat to James Conner's playing time but it appears the rookie will have to wait a while before he makes his mark on the league. In recent comments to the press, offensive coordinator Drew Petzing reaffirmed the team's commitment to using Conner as their primary running back, referring to him as the "bell cow in that room." While Benson's performance during training camp and the preseason solidified his role as Conner's direct backup, not much should be expected of the rookie out of the gate. Given Conner's injury history, Benson is certainly a worthwhile bench stash but the bench is exactly where he should be on fantasy rosters in Week 1.

When the Arizona Cardinals open their season on Sunday, it will mark running back James Conner's eighth as a pro, and his fourth with the team. Since joining the Cardinals in 2021, Conner has the eleventh-most carries in the league despite missing seven games due to injury over the last two seasons and starting only six games in 2021. Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing recently told the media that Conner is "the bell cow in that room," signaling he will maintain his role despite rookie Trey Benson's presence on the depth chart. In 2023, Conner turned in his first 1,000-yard season and finished with the third-most rushing yards per game (80.0). The Buffalo Bills have a stout defense but last season had a weakness against running backs, allowing 4.4 yards per carry (eighth-worst in the NFL) and 6.33 yards per target (fourth-worst) to the position. Conner can be started as a solid RB2 option in Week 1.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray won't have it easy in Week 1 when the team kicks off the 2024 season against the Buffalo Bills. Last season, the Bills limited opposing quarterbacks to just 215.2 passing yards per game and a total of 18 passing touchdowns, tied for the third-fewest in the league. However, they lost veteran safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde in the offseason, leaving room for fantasy managers to be optimistic about Murray's production. There's also the fact that Murray isn't shy about using his legs to make a play. Since his rookie season in 2019, he has averaged 37.7 rushing yards per game (fourth-most in the NFL in that span). Murray has a good track record and a stable of young pass-catchers headlined by fourth-overall draft pick Marvin Harrison Jr. Despite the tough matchup, Murray should be in starting lineups on Sunday.