Formations Fantasy Football Review: Arizona Cardinals Edition

The Arizona Cardinals had a great year in 2013 but were still shut out of the playoffs. Their roster contains many players you should consider adding to your team on draft day. Here’s a look at some possible players to add and avoid.

Star: Michael Floyd (WR)

13 Stats: 65 catches-1041 yards-5 TD

Why He’s a Star: Floyd was drafted to keep defenses honest so that Larry Fitzgerald was not always double-teamed. After a slow start in his rookie season, Floyd started paying dividends last year. He saw a dramatic increase in targets, catches, and yards. This should continue this year. He is a definite WR3 with the potential to be a WR2.

Avoid: Rob Housler (TE)

13 Stats: 39 catches-455 yards-1 TD

Why to Avoid: It’s never a good sign when you are a starter at a position and your team adds someone at your spot not only in free agency, but in the draft as well. That is exactly what happened to Rob Housler when he saw the Cardinals add John Carlson and Troy Niklas this offseason. Housler was already slipping as he was seen as a potential low TE1/high TE2 last year and did nothing to live up to that billing. For a cherry on top, Housler suffers from durability issues as well. Do not go near Housler on draft day!

Sleepers: Stepfan Taylor and Jonathan Dwyer (RB)

Why They Are Sleepers: Andre Ellington is the featured back and may have a breakout year. However, there are also durability and scheme concerns. Most of his work last year came against nickel and dime sets. In these situations, he excelled. However, against base defenses, his YPC dropped significantly. If he is injured, these 2 running backs could fill in and be a flex play for your team.

IDP to Watch: Kevin Minter (LB)

13 Stats: 4 tackles

Why: Last year Arizona had two solid weekly LB plays in Daryl Washington and Karlos Dansby. How things quickly change. Washington is suspended and Dansby is suiting up for Mike Pettine in Cleveland. Who’s to fill in for these tackle machines? Welcome Kevin Minter, who barely saw the field last year but potentially could put up gaudy numbers this year.

This article was written by Eric Talbot of Formations Fantasy Football League. You can follow him on twitter @etalbot81