Former Cardinal that are worth drafting in fantasy football

One part of the NFL fans enjoy the most is the draft, and I am not talking about the NFL Draft. I am referring to fantasy football drafts, as just like the NFL season is nearing so are fantasy football drafts.

Many people have different strategies when it comes to fantasy football, whether it be stock up on running backs, take the best player available, or of course the dreaded auto-drafter (don't be that guy). There are a handful of different scoring systems whether it be standard or PPR among many others, but all you need to know is that players who are producing on the field are likely good additions to the squad.

Stanford has a handful of players worth taking in your fantasy draft whether it be in the early or later rounds, so with that being said let's take a look at some former Cardinal that are worth drafting in your fantasy football draft this year.

Zach Ertz, TE, Arizona Cardinals

If you miss your chance at one of the premier tight ends in the early rounds, no need to fret because Zach Ertz is still considered a viable option in fantasy. According to ESPN's Mike Clay, Ertz has been going with the second tier of tight ends with players like T.J. Hockenson, Dallas Goedert,, Mike Gesicki and Pat Freiermuth in the seventh-through-11th rounds. He expressed the importance of taking a tight end when the time is right as you don't want to miss out on a running back or receiver, but make sure to get someone like Ertz if possible because there is a huge drop off after this tier.

Ertz is ranked as TE9 according to ESPN's fantasy expert Matthew Berry, and ranks as the No. 95 overall player in fantasy. Just when Ertz looked like he was out of gas with the Eagles, he saw a major uptick in production with the Cardinals improving his yards per game, yards per target, but there is a caveat when it comes to his increased numbers. DeAndre Hopkins was out. There is a chance that he will get off to a hot start with Hopkins out the first six weeks, but when Hopkins returns there will be fewer touches with the addition of Marqusie Brown.

When I would draft: 9th Round

Dalton Schultz, TE, Dallas Cowboys

Dalton Schultz has been on the rise in fantasy football after recording 141 receptions for 1,423 yards and 12 touchdowns over the past two seasons. His numbers might continue to ascend after the Cowboys traded Amari Cooper away, as they will need someone else to step up in the passing game aside from CeeDee Lamb. He ranks as TE6 according to Berry, and is viewed as a potential top-five producer by Clay.

The downside to Schultz is the fact that unlike the Mark Andrews and Travis Kelces of the world, is not someone who is necessarily athletic. He is more of a power tight end that is hard to tackle. During this past season while it was a good season overall, Schultz had nine outings with more than 50 receiving yards, but never surpassed 82 receiving yards. He also had eight games with less than 50 receiving yards, and only had more than one touchdown catch twice (both against the Eagles). There were a lot more mouths to feed last season, so he should see more opportunities this upcoming season.

When I would draft: 6th Round

Davis Mills, QB, Houston Texans

If you draft similarly to me, you focus on bolstering up you running backs, receivers, and even tight ends before thinking about a quarterback. While it is great to have a guy like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, or even Lamar Jackson taking a quarterback early just is nonsensical especially when you consider how shallow the running back pool is. This is where Davis Mills comes into play, as he may the right pick if you are in a two quarterback league or if you just want a backup to pick up. Mills finished 2021 with at least 18 Fantasy points in four of the last five games.

Assuming he improves he can be a great addition to leagues that play multiple quarterbacks, or he can be great pickup off the waiver wire if your quarterback is on a bye or injured. I wouldn't' recommend drafting him in standard leagues yet due to the fact that he is on a Texans team with a poor offensive line and uninspired skill position players, but he did well last season and may be on track to improve again.

Where I would draft: N/A (Waiver Wire addition)

Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers

The best valued person on this list, as if it weren't for his injury issues you would be a fool to not take Christian McCaffrey with the No. 1 pick. When he is healthy, he has consistently shown that he is one of the best running backs in fantasy scoring 20 PPR points in 73.8% of his games over the last four seasons. Berry has him ranked as both RB2 and the No. 2 overall player behind Johnathan Taylor. He has shown that he is a threat in both the run game and passing game, and while some see the emergence of D'Onta Foreman as a threat I think having some help will take away help keep him on the field. Normally you don't want your player to lose touches, but when he has an injury history, it's not the worst thing. McCaffrey is someone you would love to fall to you, but are scared to rely on.

The downside as I previously mentioned is the injury risk, as he has 23 out of a possible 33 games in the past two seasons. While Baker Mayfield, who will surely win the starting job over Sam Darnold, isn't elite by any means he does target running backs frequently. This could help McCaffrey's production, but also expose him to more hits being taken. Even with the threat of injury, McCaffrey is still valued as a first round pick and worth drafting if given the chance. I personally would give a good look at Taylor, Austin Ekeler, and Derrick Henry but McCaffrey is still in that tier if healthy. It's just a big "if".

When I would draft him: Late 1st Round