Cardinals TE Named Top Fantasy Football Value

ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals could potentially be a gold mine of fantasy football value in 2024.

Few eyes are targeting players in the desert, and perhaps that’s understandable given the team’s recent 4-13 record. We also haven’t seen a fully healthy Kyler Murray take the field for an entire season under OC Drew Petzing, either.

Still, Murray’s return halfway through the 2023 season gave hope that something special could be brewing.

Now, it feels like the Cardinals have ample weapons in both pass and run phases of the offense – and when it comes to fantasy football players looking for value – NFL.com’s Matt Okada says you won’t find a better tight end than Trey McBride:

“To be clear, I’m OK with McBride being the TE3, below Travis Kelce and Sam LaPorta … I’m just happy to take him a round earlier than he’s going in drafts (around the seventh pick of Round 4 right now),” he wrote.

“Why? Well let’s look at what he did after Kyler Murray ‘s return to the field in Week 10 last season: 8.3 targets per game, 67.3 receiving yards per game, 14.9 fantasy points per game.

“If McBride ‘s numbers with Murray were projected to a full season, that would translate to 140 targets, 113 catches, 1,143 yards and four touchdowns — which would have made him the TE1 in 2023.

“Granted, I expect the raw target volume to drop a bit with the arrival of rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., but McBride will still be in the top three at the position in that category, and the quality of his opportunities could increase, with Murray healthier and Harrison demanding attention from opposing defenses.

“Locking up an elite tight end is huge in fantasy, and you can feel confident reaching several spots on McBride to do so.”

McBride was undoubtedly the top weapon for Murray last season, though the presence of Harrison likely changes that.

It’s a crowded room of pass catchers in Arizona, though McBride simply is too good for Murray to ignore.

“This is the first time I’ve came into a room and kind of had that respect that I can play, and it just makes me want to work harder,” McBride said earlier this offseason.

“[It] really brings fuel to me. It’s something that I really love to do and I’m super excited for. Now, it’s just fine tuning and making sure that that the other guys in the room can do the exact same.”