There were three studs and a couple of duds in the Cardinals’ 25-23 win over the Falcons on Sunday.
The Arizona Cardinals snapped a six-game losing streak on Sunday with a 25-23 last-second win over the Atlanta Falcons at home. It came in the 2023 debut of quarterback Kyler Murray, playing in a game for the first time since tearing his ACL and meniscus last December.
They got big performances from some and some dud performances from others.
Who were the studs and duds from the game on Sunday?
He became the third tight end in franchise history to have 100 yards in a game. The last game happened 34 years ago.
The Arizona Cardinals picked up a big 25-23 home win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, snapping a six-game losing streak in the 2023 debut of Kyler Murray.
However, perhaps the player of the game was second-year tight end Trey McBride, who caught eight passes for 131 yards.
The production was somewhat historic.
It was only the third time in franchise history a tight end had at least 100 receiving yards and the first time since Rob Awalt did it 34 years ago to the day in 1989.
“I thought that crazy,” he said about learning of the 34-yard drought after the game. “I wasn’t even thought of. That was still 10 years before I was born.”
He was grateful for the opportunity.
He came close a couple of weeks ago with 10 catches for 95 yards and a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens.
“I hope that drought doesn’t last that long again,” he said.
McBride had eight receptions for 131 yards in the Cardinals’ 25-23 win over the Falcons on Sunday.
The Arizona Cardinals snapped a six-game losing streak on Sunday, defeating the Atlanta Falcons 25-23 at home on a game-winning, 23-yard field goal by Matt Prater.
However, the player of the game was probably tight end Trey McBride. He finished the game with eight receptions for 131 yards, including a 33-yard catch setting up the game-winner.
It was the first 100-yard game from a Cardinals tight end since 1989. He did it with great ball skills, with catching and running, and he also had the block that freed quarterback Kyler Murray on his six-yard touchdown run.
Catch every one of McBride’s catches from the game in the video below.
Check out the top waiver wire targets for Week 10.
As we enter into the home stretch of the fantasy football season, managers are either looking to stay in the hunt or play spoiler for the rest of the league. Either way, the waiver wire is a vital part of the process.
There will be another four teams on a bye in Week 10 while another four will return from their week off.
We’ll be taking a look at the top available players rostered in Yahoo leagues, using the 75% rostered mark as the threshold. If you have any questions about prioritizing a certain player over another, don’t be afraid to hit me up on X, formerly Twitter, (@KevinHickey11). Your questions and comments are always welcome!
We also will be taking a look at some deeper players to stash and the top streaming options for the upcoming week.
Check out these starts and sits for fantasy football in Week 9.
With the Thursday night game in Week 9 now behind us, it’s time to focus our attention on the vital start/sit decisions to make in fantasy football for the weekend.
Doing start/sit articles can be a little challenging. The players featured on the list below should not be taken as “must starts” or “must sits.” Instead, these are more suggestions on what we believe managers should do with fringe players heading into the weekend. The choice is ultimately up to the manager.
Just because a player is listed as a “start” doesn’t mean he should be put in the lineup over the secure, bona fide studs. Vice versa for the “sits.” If there’s no better option on the waiver wire or the bench, a manager shouldn’t automatically sit the player. That’s why these can be tricky waters to navigate.
Here are the top waiver wire targets for fantasy football in Week 9.
Week 8 of the fantasy football season offered plenty of fireworks with a full slate of games, and now we’re back to sifting through the waiver wire amid bye weeks.
Entering Week 9, there will be four teams on a bye, and all four teams have some serious star power who will be sitting on the bench.
We’ll be taking a look at the top available players rostered in Yahoo leagues, using the 75% rostered mark as the threshold. If you have any questions about prioritizing a certain player over another, don’t be afraid to hit me up on X, formerly Twitter, (@KevinHickey11). Your questions and comments are always welcome!
We also will be taking a look at some deeper players to stash and the top streaming options for the upcoming week.
Check out the studs and duds for the Cardinals in their loss to the Ravens.
The Arizona Cardinals lost their fifth straight game on Sunday, falling 31-24 at home to the Baltimore Ravens. They had some good performances and some less-than-stellar performances.
Who were the studs and duds for the Cardinals in Week 8?
Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.
SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks
Pass-Rush
TD
Sam Howell
397-11
4
Josh Allen
324-41
3
Dak Prescott
304-19
4
Jalen Hurts
319-6
3
Joe Burrow
283-43
3
Running Backs
Yards
TD
Christian McCaffrey
12-54
6-64
2
Gus Edwards
19-80
2-14
3
Alvin Kamara
17-59
4-51
2
Travis Etienne
24-79
3-70
1
Austin Ekeler
15-29
7-94
1
Wide Receivers
Yards
TD
CeeDee Lamb
12-158
2
DeAndre Hopkins
4-128
3
A.J. Brown
8-130
2
Tyreek Hill
8-112
1
Ja’Marr Chase
10-100
1
Tight Ends
Yards
TD
Trey McBride
10-95
1
George Kittle
9-149
0
Taysom Hill
9-63
1-14
2
T.J. Hockenson
6-88
1
Evan Engram
10-88
0
Placekickers
XP
FG
Brandon McManus
0
4
Brandon Aubrey
5
2
Younghoe Koo
2
3
Cameron Dicker
3
3
Jake Elliott
5
1
Defense
Sack – TO
TD
Broncos
3-5
0
Cowboys
2-1
1
Jaguars
3-2
0
Vikings
4-1
0
Steelers
3-3
0
Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts
QB Matt Stafford -Thumb
QB Kirk Cousins – Achilles
QB Tyrod Taylor – Ribs
QB Kenny Pickett – Ribs
QB Desmond Ridder – Benched
QB Patrick Mahomes – Flu
RB Damien Williams – Foot
RB Travis Etienne – Ankle
WR DeVante Parker – Head
WR Kendrick Bourne – Knee
WR Drake London – Groin
WR Curtis Samuel – Toe
TE Darren Waller – Hamstring
Chasing Ambulances
QB Matt Stafford – He was already playing through a hip injury and left the Cowboys matchup when his thumb hit a helmet. He remained sidelined with a taped thumb after they examined it in the locker room but the Rams would not make a statement about it and Stafford did not talk to the press. Brett Rypien is the only other quarterback currently on their roster. Stetson Bennett is on the reserve/non-football illness list but the Rams have not disclosed exactly why. If Stafford misses any time, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua will likely suffer a decline.
QB Kirk Cousins – He suffered what is feared to be a season-ending Achilles injury. For a team already missing Justin Jefferson, this is catastrophic. The only healthy quarterback on the team is the rookie Jaren Hall. Sean Mannion is on the practice squad and Nick Mullens is on injured reserve. At 3-4, do they give up and make do with what they have or do they try to acquire or trade for someone? The worst part is that Cousins likely takes the Minnesota passing game with him, impacting Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and Jefferson when he returns.
QB Tyrod Taylor – The Giants quarterback suffered a rib injury and was brought to a local hospital. He was already replacing Daniel Jones who is out with a neck injury. The Giants are down to Tommy DeVito who entered the game and completed 2-of-7 passes for a net loss of one yard. The expectation is that the Giants will bring in free-agent quarterbacks though the shelves are rather bare. The Giants cannot afford to have yet another step downward in their passing offense.
QB Kenny Pickett – The Steelers quarterback left with a rib injury and the immediate concern is how quickly he will heal since the Steelers host the Titans on Thursday. Mitchell Trubisky will take the start if Pickett cannot play. More should be known on Monday.
QB Desmond Ridder – Was evaluated for a concussion and did not return to the loss to the Titans. HC Arthur Smith said that Ridder was held out for health reasons and not as a benching. Taylor Heinicke took over and completed 12-of-21 for 175 yards and a touchdown. Barring new information, Ridder remains the starter and will play if healthy. Practices will indicate if Ridder or Heinicke are most likely to start against the Vikings this week.
RB Travis Etienne – He left with an ankle injury but later returned and scored a 56-yard touchdown on a catch. He is fine.
WR Kendrick Bourne – The Patriots’ No. 1 receiver was injured in the fourth quarter, holding his right knee in obvious pain. He was able to walk to the medical tent and was ruled out of the game. He is due to have an MRI on Monday and the hope is that it is just a sprained MCL. DeVante Parker was hit helmet-to-helmet as well and is expected to be diagnosed with a concussion. That would be serious since he missed games due to a concussion in 2022. JuJu Smith-Schuster has been a disappointment since joining the Pats and had his own health issues. But he received more playing time after Bourne left and caught a three-yard touchdown on his only reception.
WR Drake London – The Falcons star wideout left the game and was looked at by the trainers. After visiting the medical tent, he was ruled out with a groin injury. London claimed that he was fine after the game, but he’ll be evaluated Monday and his status will be clearer later in the week. If he is out for the Vikings matchup this week, Kyle Pitts, Jonnu Smith, Mack Hollins, and Van Jefferson would have to take up the slack but London is the difference-maker out of all receivers.
TE Darren Waller – Suffered a hamstring strain and left the game. His status will be updated later this week, but the Giants’ problems at quarterback are an equally troublesome development for Waller’s fantasy value.
Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables
New starting quarterbacks – The worst injury situation appears to be Kirk Cousins and the situation they are in if he cannot play as expected. The Vikings are likely to bring in veteran quarterbacks who will carry some fantasy value, but watch what moves they make in the early week. The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, so we’ll know quickly if they acquire any notable replacement.
QB Will Levis (TEN) – The 2.02 pick by the Titans in the NFL draft was the fourth quarterback selected. Levis took his first NFL start and threw for 238 yards and four touchdowns – three on deep passes to DeAndre Hopkins. Ryan Tannehill only totaled two touchdowns after six games. Levis has to be the ongoing starter. He became the third quarterback in NFL history to throw for four touchdowns in their first start.
RB Emari Demercado (ARI) – The Cardinals have turned to Demercado as the full-time back with 20 carries for 78 yards versus the Ravens on Sunday. He also caught one pass for one year. James Conner remains out for at least two more weeks and it could be longer since the Cardinals have not been very forthcoming about Conner’s prognosis.
TE Trey McBride (ARI) – The Cardinals placed Zach Ertz onto injured reserve and that left second-year McBride as the primary tight end. He responded well, leading all fantasy tight ends with ten catches for 95 yards and a score against the Ravens. McBride was drafted last year in the second round and this was the sort of development they were hoping to see.
TE Taysom Hill (NO) – The Swiss Army knife of the Saints already scored last week on five rushes for 18 yards and gained 50 yards as a receiver. Against the Colts, Hill ran for 63 yards and two touchdowns on nine rushes and caught a 14-yard pass. He’s always been inconsistent, but that’s two straight fantasy-relevant performances. He has been shifted to being a quarterback on some depth charts but remains a tight end on many.
RB Miles Sanders (CAR) – He missed Week 6 with a shoulder injury but had a bye to help him heal. He was removed from the injury report and was expected to resume his role as the starter, along with Chuba Hubbard. But Sanders only carried twice for no yards, and Hubbard ran 15 times for 28 yards. Sanders is far too risky to merit a fantasy start until he can prove to be healthy and a part of the game plan.
WR Demario Douglas (NE) – The Patriots rookie hasn’t scored and topped out in Week 7 with four catches for 54 yards. Against the Dolphins, he ended with five receptions for 25 yards but it was notable because his seven targets were three more than any other Patriot receiver. And Kendrick Bourne and DeVante Parker both were injured last week.
RB Gus Edwards (BAL) – He’s been consistent with around 50 yards in most games and scored only in Week 2. But these last two games, Edwards has his best performances of the year. In Week 7, he ran in a score, rushed for 64 yards and caught an 80-yard pass. For Week 8, he produced a career-best three touchdowns on his 19 rushes for 80 yards and caught two passes for 14 yards. Jackson dialed back his role as a rusher for these last two weeks and Edwards has feasted.
WR Tyreek Hill (MIA) – He currently has 1,014 receiving yards and is the first player to do that in their first eight games in the last 62 years of NFL history. He is on pace to gain 2,154 yards on the season.
Germany Alert! – The NFL returns to Europe this week with their first-ever game in Germany. The notable part is that they are showcasing the NFL by playing the Dolphins and Chiefs. That means there are a lot of fantasy team owners who need to get up well before 9:30 AM EST (6:30 AM EST) and check their lineups or risk missing an inactive.
Huddle player of the week
Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
CeeDee Lamb (DAL) – The Cowboys No. 1 receiver already gained 117 yards last week, and he upped that mark against the Rams when he caught 12 passes for a career-best 158 yards and two touchdowns. After a three-week lull in production, Lamb is turning in big stats for multiple weeks and just led the NFL in fantasy points.
Salute!
Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry
We take a look at second-year TE Trey McBride and where he stands with the team entering training camp.
The Arizona Cardinals open training camp at the end of this month, so we will do a roster review, highlighting each player currently on the roster, going over last season, their salary and cap number, questions they face and what their expected roster status will be.
We take a look at the tight end position before free agency begins.
With a new general manager and coaching staff, the Arizona Cardinals have a lot of work to do with the roster coming off a 4-13 season.
Virtually every position group has some level of need to be addressed.
Over the next few days in this offseason series, we will take a look at each position group, what the offseason outlook is, what questions they have what what level of need is there — critical, urgent or secondary.
