Fantasy football talk will start ramping up soon but Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray could be a highly coveted player for fantasy owners this coming season.
ESPN’s Matt Bowen believes Murray has top-five quarterback potential in terms of fantasy production this coming season.
If I’m going to draft a quarterback early — after Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes are selected — then Murray is my top target. The upside is real for Murray, who finished as the No. 8 quarterback in fantasy scoring last season despite ranking No. 23 in red zone touchdown throws and No.18 in deep-ball touchdowns. Now add wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who ranks in the top four in both red zone and deep-ball touchdown receptions over the past three seasons. He’s a game-changer for Murray, in a Cardinals route tree that also features Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk. There are matchup advantages here at all three levels of the field.
Now let’s add that expected boost in passing totals — and passing efficiency — to the rushing volume for Murray in Kliff Kingsbury’s system. Murray rushed for 544 yards last season, with 339 yards on 62 designed rushes — the third most in the NFL, behind Jackson and Josh Allen. He also posted a run of at least 15 yards in nine games. And with Murray’s December schedule — home, at Giants, home, home, at Rams — he’s going to see only one possible poor-weather game to close out the fantasy season. Murray projects as a Tier 1 fantasy starter, in my opinion, with a top-five ceiling in 2020.
Mike Clay projects Murray will have 29 total touchdowns between passing and running but has him throwing for less than 4,000 passing yards.
Many believe Murray is a candidate to break out in the league in his second season, as we have seen several quarterbacks do in the last five seasons — Jared Goff, Carson Wentz, Mitch Trubisky, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson.
Because of the offense he plays in and his ability to make plays with his legs as well as his arm, he should be a top fantasy target for the coming season. He will be better and his supporting cast is better this year. Fantasy owners should not feel bad if Murray is in their reach when assembling their rosters.
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Ep. 268
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Ep. 267
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