Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado (shoulder) was spotted after Wednesday's training camp practice wearing a brace covering his right shoulder and going across his torso. James Conner is Arizona's clear lead back entering the 2024 season, but Demercado so far has been working with the first-team offense as his primary complement in the Cardinals' backfield. It's unclear if the 25-year-old's shoulder injury is serious enough to keep him out of practices moving forward, but if it is, it could give both Michael Carter and rookie Trey Benson opportunities to unseat Demercado as the RB2 in the desert. Demercado had 58 rushing attempts for 58 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games in his first NFL season in 2023 after going undrafted out of TCU. He could open the year as the No. 2 RB, but Benson has a fairly good shot at surpassing on the depth chart sooner than later.

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said that wide receiver Greg Dortch is going to have "a big year." "He speaks softly and carries a big stick," Gannon said. With Rondale Moore no longer in town, Dortch has been working with the first-team offense in training camp this summer after being a backup receiver each of the last two seasons. The 26-year-old slot receiver has had his moments as an injury replacement, though, especially in 2022, when he had a career season with 52 receptions on 64 targets for 467 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games (four starts). The former undrafted free agent has injury concerns himself because of his small 5-foot-7, 175-pound stature, but he could be a sleeper candidate worth looking into, especially with quarterback Kyler Murray fully healthy to begin the 2024 campaign.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray will not play during the preseason. This comes as no surprise as many high-profile quarterbacks sit the entirety of the preseason, especially in recent years. Murray is coming off a season in which he threw for 1,799 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions in eight games. Murray added 244 rushing yards and three touchdowns despite coming off a torn ACL. While it is a bummer that we will not get to see Murray throw to Marvin Harrison Jr. in the preseason, fantasy managers should know what to expect from Murray at this point. The Cardinals' offense should be serviceable, with Murray behind center. As the current QB10 in fantasy drafts, Murray should be a target in fantasy drafts.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is hopeful to be out there playing in the preseason. The rookie wideout told reporters on Thursday that he wants to play during the preseason games. Head coach Jonathan Gannon agreed with Harrison saying that the first-round pick should be out there. Obviously, the Cardinals don't want to risk injury to their prized rookie receiver, but Harrison also needs game action to learn his new playbook. The assumption is that Harrison is going to have a significant target share during his rookie campaign.

Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado has firmly placed himself as a player in the training camp battle to be the team's RB2. Demercado has been subbing in for James Conner during first-team work with Michael Carter taking second-team work and 2024 third-round pick Trey Benson spelling Carter. Demercado was a regular contributor last season for the Cardinals thanks to his pass-blocking work but he also started two games for the team in Weeks 7-8. Demercado's skillset is valuable and looks to be in line for a roster spot for the Cardinals, but it's only a matter of time before Benson moves up the depth chart considering the draft capital the team spent on him this past April. Demercado shouldn't be drafted in fantasy for this upcoming season but could find some waiver wire buzz if injuries strike the Cardinals' backfield.