Fantasy preview: Arizona
Moving to the NFC West, the Cardinals surprised just about everybody by reaching, and almost winning, the Super Bowl. The offense became a fantasy machine, but can it stay that way with continued Anquan Boldin trade rumors and 38-year-old Kurt Warner at quarterback?
Quarterbacks: Warner played all 16 games last season, a surprise given his injury history over the past several years. In turn, he threw for 4,583 yards and 30 touchdowns. With the weapons Arizona has at WR, he should put up similar numbers — worthy of a top-five QB1 — if he stays healthy. But given his age and that history, that’s a big if. If your league allows/requires three quarterbacks, and you take Warner, consider drafting Matt Leinart just in case. If Leinart does have to step in, he might not set the world on fire, but with that receiving corps, he shouldn’t stink, either.
Running backs: Arizona let Edgerrin James go during the offseason, then drafted Chris Wells out of Ohio State in the first round. Because the Cardinals are not primarily a running team, Wells will face less pressure to produce in his rookie season. That said, he’s a solid RB3 (maybe even a sleeper low-end RB2) on draft day — he won’t lead the league in rushing, but he’ll approach 1,000 yards and score more than a few TDs. He would score more if not for Tim Hightower, who scored 10 touchdowns last season and might be called upon again near the goal line. I doubt he’ll reach double digits again, and he’s clearly not a yardage back (he only averaged 2.8 yards a carry in 2008), but he’s an RB3/RB4 simply because he will score some touchdowns and catch some passes.
Wide receivers: Steve Breaston caught 77 passes for 1,006 yards and three touchdowns last year yet is the Cardinals’ third-best receiver! The embarrassment of riches might continue this year if Boldin remains with the team. If he does, both he and Larry Fitzgerald (perhaps the top WR on the fantasy draft board) are WR1s, with Breaston a solid WR3. Boldin’s health is always a concern, but he still puts up the numbers when he plays (even if he’s hurt). If Boldin goes, upgrade Breaston to a WR2 and look to Jerehme Urban as a WR5 sleeper pick.
Tight ends: Leonard Pope’s numbers fell badly last year (zero touchdowns), and don’t look for too much improvement from him in 2009. If another tight end emerges during training camp, he might be a sleeper TE2, but more than likely, you’ll avoid Arizona’s tight ends on draft day.
Kicker: Neil Rackers is a solid low-end K1 simply because the Cardinals will score plenty of points.
