2024 Fantasy Football Draft Prep: Arizona Cardinals player outlooks, schedule, depth chart and more to know

Under the leadership of Jonathan Gannon, the Cardinals seek redemption after a disappointing 4-13 season. With significant departures like Marquise Brown and Rondale Moore, there's a void in target opportunities to address. The Cardinals' 2024 draft picks, especially the early selections, will play a crucial role in shaping a more successful season ahead.   

Below the CBS Sports Fantasy staff will take a look into the Cardinals' entire team outlook including changes to the top of the depth chart that matter for Fantasy, a burning question for Fantasy Football managers that needs to be answered, a review of their draft class, strength of schedule, and individual player outlooks for all of the notable Cardinals players who may end up on your Fantasy rosters.

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Cardinals 2024 lineup changes

Burning question: Can Marvin Harrison Jr. hit the ground running?

The Arizona Cardinals have plenty of target opportunities that need to be replaced and their No. 1 pick is poised to take on the brunt of the work. The Cardinals organization is no stranger to witnessing greatness at the wide receiver position as they drafted Larry Fitzgerald nearly 20 years ago. The hope is that Harrison can match or surpass Fitzgerald's 58 receptions for 780 yards and eight touchdowns he posted in 2004. Harrison possesses the detailed route running and ball skills necessary to make an immediate impact, but consistently beating press-man coverage will dictate just how much success he'll see as a rookie.  

2024 NFL Draft class

Cardinals 2024 schedule

Cardinals 2024 player outlooks

By Dave Richard and CBS Fantasy staff

QB Kyler Murray

Optimism is high for Murray to return to his top-10 Fantasy QB form now that he's completely over his ACL rehab from 2023 and is armed with outstanding rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. in the Cardinals passing game. In eight starts last season, Murray averaged 20.8 Fantasy points per game, notching at least 22 in half of them. That was good for 11th-best among quarterbacks in that time frame, continuing his trend of being a top-12 finisher in per-game Fantasy average (he was ninth in 2022 and seventh in 2021 and 2020). It would then make sense to target Murray as at least the eighth quarterback off the board in Fantasy drafts since he's had some consistency through his career and has the upside to have an even stronger season in 2024. Taking him by Round 7 in one-QB leagues doesn't feel like too big of a risk; if you want him in Superflex/two-QB drafts, be prepared to spend a top-15 choice.  

RB James Conner

Conner has averaged at least 15 PPR points per game in each of his three seasons with the Cardinals. Don't assume a fourth will come easy. While Conner remained highly effective as Arizona's lead back last season, he did lose out on most third downs to two other runners. In April, the Redbirds took Trey Benson in the NFL Draft, adding a younger power back with similar skills to Conner to their RB room. And you can't forget about Conner being an eighth-year veteran at age 29 who has missed at least three games in five of his past six seasons. When he's on the field, he's generally been very good, which is why Fantasy managers won't mind settling for Conner as soon as Round 6, but not before since he has some considerable concerns. It's also not a bad idea to target Benson in Round 8, even if Conner isn't already on your roster.  

RB Trey Benson

Benson figures to be the running back of the future for the Cardinals, but might the rookie unseat veteran James Conner for significant touches in 2024? Benson enjoyed back-to-back years of strong production at Florida State including over 1,100 total yards and at least nine rushing touchdowns each season. He's close to a finished product as a rusher thanks to his impressive bulk and outstanding speed, and he is still ascending as a pass-catcher and pass blocker. Benson provides the Cardinals with an insurance policy at running back for when Conner misses time (he's been sidelined for at least three games in five of his past six seasons), but he also figures to be their long-term rusher. If Conner slips up at any point, the primary gig might be with Benson. That's why Benson will be a popular pick starting in Round 8 in all redraft leagues. Also expect Benson to get snagged between eighth and 14th overall in rookie-only drafts depending on the format.

WR Marvin Harrison Jr.

It's not often when a rookie wideout enters the NFL with as much praise as Harrison, but what else would you expect from a two-time unanimous All-American with back-to-back collegiate seasons of at least 65 catches, 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns and a Pro Football Hall of Fame father? The truth is, Harrison is an exceptional, NFL-ready wide receiver who should instantly improve the passing game for the Cardinals. There's also a mostly pristine track record of Kyler Murray heavily targeting one receiver more than the others, so expecting at least eight targets per game from Harrison feels reasonable. The rookie also figures to be a big-time red-zone option, creating plenty of scoring opportunities all year. We don't say this lightly: Harrison has all the hallmarks of an instant Fantasy must-start stud, which is why we believe him to be worthy of a pick anywhere from 13th to 20th overall in redraft leagues. It sounds like a steep price, but that's what it will take for a player of his caliber with this kind of opportunity. Harrison is also worthy of the first overall pick in all rookie-only drafts, including Superflex/two-QB.  

WR Michael Wilson

Expect Wilson to compete for a decent target share this season with the Cardinals. He notched at least six targets in five of 13 games as a rookie last year but managed 14-plus PPR points just twice. The team's addition of Marvin Harrison Jr. at receiver is a lock to impact Wilson's contributions, making him more of a low-end bench player in deeper redraft leagues, even though he offers some size to the Cardinals receiving game. Expect him to get taken in Round 13 or later, and probably only in deeper full-PPR leagues.

WR Greg Dortch

The Cardinals made it a point to hang on to Dortch this offseason, so expect him to compete for a role in the offense this preseason. He four games in his final seven with at least 11 PPR points, which isn't awful if you view him as a bench fill-in player. The problem is expecting Dortch to replicate that role now that Marvin Harrison Jr. is part of the Arizona offense. It's for the best that Dortch doesn't get picked in redraft leagues; expect to find him on the waiver wire during the season.

WR Tejhaun Palmer

Palmer is an interesting rookie for the Cardinals because he's big and has some decent speed. His final year at Alabama-Birmingham was his best, totaling seven scores and 858 yards on 47 catches in 12 games. Naturally, Palmer has an uphill battle for playing time but could find a chance to contribute with a strong preseason. Plus, aside from Marvin Harrison Jr., there isn't a long list of talented receivers for him to beat out. Keep his name in mind if you're in a deep rookie-only draft.

TE Trey McBride

From Week 8 until the end of last season, McBride led the Cardinals with 8.5 targets per game. That coincided with Zach Ertz getting hurt and Marquise Brown falling out of favor with the Cardinals offense, but there's a lot of hope for McBride to stay close to that mark in 2024. Not only did the Cardinals lead the NFL in tight end targets per game with 10.5, but they were fourth-best with 9.9 per game in the first seven weeks before McBride truly broke out. The hope is that Marvin Harrison Jr.'s arrival doesn't impact McBride's target share too much, keeping him squarely in the mix as a top-five Fantasy tight end, especially in full PPR. Round 4 feels like the right time to take him in that format with a pick a full round later in non-PPR.

TE Tip Reiman

Reiman is known more for his blocking chops than for his receiving skills (five touchdowns over 41 receptions in three years at Illinois). That doesn't mean he can't eventually become a capable pass-catcher for the Cardinals, but with Trey McBride firmly locked into that primary role, and with the offense almost never being suitable for multiple tight ends, Reiman is unlikely to help you in your quest for Fantasy greatness. He's barely even worth consideration in rookie-only drafts.  

K Matt Prater

Prater did not finish as a top-12 Fantasy kicker on a per-game basis last year, but that doesn't mean he can't do it this year. With Kyler Murray ready to roll Week 1 and Marvin Harrison added to the offense, the Cardinals should move the chains pretty consistently. Prater has made over 80% of his field goals in four of his past five seasons, attempting at least 31 of them in three of the last four. He's on the fringe of being a top-12 kicker, which means he might be one you find on your waiver wire during the season.

Cardinals DST

The Cardinals DST isn't one you should be particularly interested in drafting. They're light on pass rushers, have some question marks in the secondary and have a lot of solid veterans who have rarely played at a high level in-between. Making matters worse are multiple dates with the Rams and 49ers offenses, plus matchups against the Bills, Packers, Dolphins, Lions and Jets. In fact, the only matchups that look pretty good at this point are against the Patriots and at the Panthers. Perhaps find the Cardinals DST off waivers for those games.