Fitz should dominate as usual.
By this time in the week (and season), you know who the studs are, and you have a pretty good grasp on players’ roles. However, with one or two slots open for bidding tonight, sometimes owners can struggle with which player to use.
First, let’s get the “must-starts” out of the way:
Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Frank Gore, and Vernon Davis
We know that these guys should have been set in stone in our line-up dating back to last Monday, so nothing should change there.
And quite obviously, if you have Warner and Alex Smith, that means Smith is on your bench. And in turn, no Cardinals running backs should be played over Gore, simply because of his potential and talent level.
However, here’s a quick glance at the “less than elite” options heading into tonight’s game, and what you may expect to see:
Arizona Cardinals
Breaston offers some versatility in leagues that gives points for return yards, and in the Cardinals high-powered offense, still packs a punch as a reliable WR3.
However, his role has regressed of late, as he’s been primarily impacting games as a returner. Breaston hasn’t caught more than four passes in four games, and only recorded one catch for eight yards last week.
We like Michael Crabtree over Breaston on Monday night.
Prediction: 4 rec, 49 yds, 0 TD
WR Early Doucet
Doucet has caught at least one pass in five straight contests, and has officially moved past Jerheme Urban as the team’s fourth receiving option, but his value is still extremely limited.
However, two things to note: He’s a safer option than Urban going forward, and his value would take an immediate boost with an injury to any of the receivers ahead of him. He isn’t a good play this week, but he could be someone to keep an eye on.
RB Tim Hightower
Due to their re-commitment to the ground game, Hightower is back as a respectable Flex play as the Cardinals starting running back. He still shared the load with Chris Wells, which can hurt his value, but he’s also the back they turn to when they set up screen passes.
Hightower can serve as a capable RB2 in the right setting, and while he won’t post dynamo stats this week against a 49ers defense that can at times lock explosive offense down, he will still provide better numbers than his teammates, Wells.
Prediction: 16 att, 66 yd, 1 TD, 4 rec, 33 yds, 0 TD
RB Chris Wells
Wells continues to keep a solid role in the Cardinals ground game, but still takes a slight backseat to Hightower, and isn’t as big a factor in the passing game.
His value is decent, but he is currently a low-end Flex play until we see more consistency.
Prediction: 10 att, 45 yds, 0 TD, 1 rec, 6 yds, 0 TD
San Francisco 49ers
QB Alex Smith
If you’re running with Smith this week, you can find solace in the fact that he’s athletic and has the ability to evade Arizona’s improving pass rush, and can throw well when rolling out of the pocket.
Despite the Cardinals aggressive play from their secondary last week against the Minnesota Vikings, Smith still has a chance at nice fantasy numbers, due to Arizona’s vulnerability to the pass if they are unable to rattle the quarterback.
Working out of the spread has done wonders for this passing attack, and while Arizona has the players to make things happen on defense, we still like Smith’s chances at finishing with quality numbers.
Prediction: 20-33, 267 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
WR Michael Crabtree
Crabtree will be lining up against a Cardinals defense that is very aggressive, but one that plays a type of defense that could be a good match-up for his skills.
Smith’s top target is obviously tight end Vernon Davis, but Crabtree is still a better play than Josh Morgan, and should also be a better play than Steve Breaston this week.
Prediction: 6 rec, 74 yds, 1 TD
WR Josh Morgan
Morgan is the starter opposite of Crabtree on the line, and has recently found himself being a big part of the passing attack.
With six grabs in each of his last two games, as well as a combined 109 yards and a touchdown, Morgan is slowly progressing into a worthy WR3.
He definitely deserves a roster spot in deep leagues, and could help you next week if you are hurt by Jeremy Maclin’s injury.
However, tonight he only projects to have better numbers than the Cardinals third and fourth receiving options.
Prediction: 5 rec, 61 yds, 0 TD
