An exciting Thursday Night Football game? Possibly. At the very least, we get to see D'Andre Hopkins for the first time since last December, and Robbie Anderson in a Cardinals uniform for about 3-to-20 snaps.
And that's a good place to start. With Marquise Brown on the shelf, Kyler Murray effectively has four good-to-great receivers and three secondary options. The main guys, of course, are Hopkins, Anderson, Rondale Moore, and Zach Ertz. Ertz should get his looks regardless. Moore seems to be more of a chaos WR in this one. He could just as easily lead all wideouts in targets and yards, as he could regress to a 3-25 receiving line if Hopkins and/or Anderson step up--although Anderson stepping up seems less likely with word that he'll be "limited" tonight.
And let's not forget A.J. Green had a healthy 49 offensive snaps last week. He or rookie Trey McBride (20 snaps) could play a spoiler role in a crowded corps with no immediate #1. Sure, Hopkins might be the #1. But he was already declining last season before getting hurt. Now he's 30 years old and coming off a 10-month hiatus. While the Saints won't have Marshon Lattimore, it doesn't mean Hopkins is an easy fantasy start.
Worst-case scenario, Murray spreads the ball around. That would be great if you have Murray. Obviously not at all great if you're starting Hopkins, Moore, or (holding my breath) Anderson. Regardless, I believe Murray will run for a score and will finish with 20+ fantasy points, and I'd be shocked if more than one of his wideouts exceeds 12 fantasy points.
How about their backfield? If James Conner (game-time decision) returns, then he'll slot in as a top 20-30 RB with a little more downside than usual. If he sits, then it'll mean more Eno Benjamin, although he flopped in his first start against Seattle. New Orleans' run D arguably is better. Benjamin needs receptions to keep his floor above water. If he's starting, then I'm starting him in the Premier Fantasy Football League, but only because my other options are Melvin Gordon and Rachaad White. (Don't ask.)
For New Orleans, I'm betting Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave will combine for 38+ touches/targets. Two weeks ago they combined for 35 in an impressive win over the Seahawks. I'm envisioning a similar approach tonight.
Should we trust hobbled 32-year-old Mark Ingram as a deep-league flier? Sure. As long as you can handle the risk of an in-game injury setback, he should get 6+ PPR points. Unless you're in as bad shape as I am, this won't sound appealing.
Elsewhere, I warned against Taysom Hill two weeks ago and was flat-out wrong. Did the same last week on account of his unsustainble production, and it evened out. This week, more of the same. He's a little-used (relatively speaking) offensive spark plug who needs to score to be worth starting. With Adam Trautman out, I would actually bet on Juwan Johnson to score more points than Hill. In a decimated receiving corps, the 26-year-old Johnson has hit 4+ targets in four contests this year. He scored four times last year, all inside the 15-yard line.
Marquez Callaway and Tre'Quan Smith are the ultimate WR fliers. Smith scored last weekend, but I prefer Callaway tonight. Probably mor targets, and I think he's slightly more talented overall.
Finally, Jameis Winston vs. Andy Dalton. As I'm writing this, we don't yet know who will start. If it's Winston, he'd immediately slot in as a top-20 QB with a little upside, and on balance should be more helpful to the Saints' receivers.
My final score prediction: Cardinals 26-20. If you have a prediction, share it below. Even if you don't, make one up. You can't do any worse than me. And good luck if you've got guys playing tonight.
And that's a good place to start. With Marquise Brown on the shelf, Kyler Murray effectively has four good-to-great receivers and three secondary options. The main guys, of course, are Hopkins, Anderson, Rondale Moore, and Zach Ertz. Ertz should get his looks regardless. Moore seems to be more of a chaos WR in this one. He could just as easily lead all wideouts in targets and yards, as he could regress to a 3-25 receiving line if Hopkins and/or Anderson step up--although Anderson stepping up seems less likely with word that he'll be "limited" tonight.
And let's not forget A.J. Green had a healthy 49 offensive snaps last week. He or rookie Trey McBride (20 snaps) could play a spoiler role in a crowded corps with no immediate #1. Sure, Hopkins might be the #1. But he was already declining last season before getting hurt. Now he's 30 years old and coming off a 10-month hiatus. While the Saints won't have Marshon Lattimore, it doesn't mean Hopkins is an easy fantasy start.
Worst-case scenario, Murray spreads the ball around. That would be great if you have Murray. Obviously not at all great if you're starting Hopkins, Moore, or (holding my breath) Anderson. Regardless, I believe Murray will run for a score and will finish with 20+ fantasy points, and I'd be shocked if more than one of his wideouts exceeds 12 fantasy points.
How about their backfield? If James Conner (game-time decision) returns, then he'll slot in as a top 20-30 RB with a little more downside than usual. If he sits, then it'll mean more Eno Benjamin, although he flopped in his first start against Seattle. New Orleans' run D arguably is better. Benjamin needs receptions to keep his floor above water. If he's starting, then I'm starting him in the Premier Fantasy Football League, but only because my other options are Melvin Gordon and Rachaad White. (Don't ask.)
For New Orleans, I'm betting Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave will combine for 38+ touches/targets. Two weeks ago they combined for 35 in an impressive win over the Seahawks. I'm envisioning a similar approach tonight.
Should we trust hobbled 32-year-old Mark Ingram as a deep-league flier? Sure. As long as you can handle the risk of an in-game injury setback, he should get 6+ PPR points. Unless you're in as bad shape as I am, this won't sound appealing.
Elsewhere, I warned against Taysom Hill two weeks ago and was flat-out wrong. Did the same last week on account of his unsustainble production, and it evened out. This week, more of the same. He's a little-used (relatively speaking) offensive spark plug who needs to score to be worth starting. With Adam Trautman out, I would actually bet on Juwan Johnson to score more points than Hill. In a decimated receiving corps, the 26-year-old Johnson has hit 4+ targets in four contests this year. He scored four times last year, all inside the 15-yard line.
Marquez Callaway and Tre'Quan Smith are the ultimate WR fliers. Smith scored last weekend, but I prefer Callaway tonight. Probably mor targets, and I think he's slightly more talented overall.
Finally, Jameis Winston vs. Andy Dalton. As I'm writing this, we don't yet know who will start. If it's Winston, he'd immediately slot in as a top-20 QB with a little upside, and on balance should be more helpful to the Saints' receivers.
My final score prediction: Cardinals 26-20. If you have a prediction, share it below. Even if you don't, make one up. You can't do any worse than me. And good luck if you've got guys playing tonight.