Arizona Cardinals Player Projections: MHJ Poised For First 1,000-Yard Season

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The Arizona Cardinals are one of the most intriguing teams in 2025 fantasy football, offering a blend of proven veterans and breakout candidates. From Kyler Murray’s dual-threat potential to Marvin Harrison Jr.’s WR1 upside and Trey McBride’s PPR consistency, fantasy managers have plenty to consider when targeting Cardinals in their drafts. Let's take a look at their early projections for the 2025 NFL season.
2025 Arizona Cardinals Team Preview: Fantasy Football Projections

Editor's Note: Click the image to view all team projections on a spreadsheet.
QB Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
Despite six seasons in the NFL, Kyler Murray has hovered around league-average in passing touchdowns (1.4 per game), often leaning too heavily on short throws and rolling out of the pocket to limit the field. His dynamic rushing ability gives him a strong fantasy floor, but managers are still waiting for that electric passing breakout.
Currently going off the board as QB9 in early drafts, Murray needs to find Marvin Harrison Jr.’s ZIP code early and often in Year 2 to unlock his ceiling. With 4,500 combined yards well within reach and a 37-touchdown season (2020) in his rearview mirror, think of Murray as a steady dual-threat option with sneaky top-five upside—once his weapons fully click.
RB James Conner, Arizona Cardinals
James Conner enters 2025 as a polarizing fantasy pick—RB20 in early drafts—forcing managers to weigh his reliable three-down skill set against looming injury risk. He’s fresh off a career-high workload and averaged 18.5 touches over his first 15 games last season, seeing the field on 56.5% of the team’s snaps.
He turns 30 to start the season, and while his volume is enticing, fantasy titles are rarely won betting on durability alone. Conner falls firmly into my “fade or handcuff” column—if I draft him, Trey Benson is coming with me.

WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals
Marvin Harrison Jr. enters 2025 with sky-high expectations, but a wide range of outcomes. Ranked as WR15 in early July ADP, he’ll need to hit 240 PPR points (roughly 80/1,000/10) just to return value—no small ask for a second-year wideout with a volatile quarterback.
Still, the upside is undeniable. Harrison’s elite college pedigree and potential WR1 target share make him an ideal WR3 for managers loading up early at the position. Count me intrigued—but it all depends on how the board falls. If he slips a round, I’m pouncing.
TE Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
Fantasy production boils down to consistency and explosiveness—and while Trey McBride nails the former, the latter is still a work in progress. Despite 221 career catches, he’s found the end zone just six times, making his 2024 breakout feel a bit incomplete.
He’s the consensus TE2 in early drafts, matching his finish from last season, and with Kyler Murray’s checkdown habits, a 100-catch, 1,000-yard season is well within reach. The big question: does he offer enough touchdown upside to justify a 2/3 turn pick? I’m betting on a scoring bump—and that makes him worth serious consideration as a positional edge.
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Matt Brandon has spent more than a decade in the fantasy sports and sports media world, with stops at Scout Media, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated, DrRoto.com, Fantasy SP, FullTime Fantasy, and several other industry staples. A three-time Top-10 finisher in FantasyPros’ national rankings competition, Brandon has also captured multiple major DFS tournament wins on FanDuel and DraftKings. His true expertise lies in season-long fantasy football and fantasy basketball, along with sports betting analysis. A lifelong New Yorker, he proudly bleeds blue for his Giants, Knicks, Rangers, and Mets. Brandon also covers Major League Baseball, with a particular focus on the Seattle Mariners, San Francisco Giants, and Philadelphia Phillies
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With 20+ years of experience in the high-stakes fantasy market, I aim to research and compete at the highest level in baseball and football each season. I've contributed as a writer/analyst for Sports Draft Daily, ScoutPro, Scout Fantasy, Fulltime Fantasy, FFToolbox, and Sports Illustrated Fantasy. I'm honored to be in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship Hall of Fame. My drafting philosophy is risk-averse yet open to betting on potential game-changers. I approach player selection with a neutral perspective, acknowledging that fantasy sports are inherently unpredictable due to injuries, performance dips, and managerial decisions. My work focuses on these main areas: - Season-long fantasy baseball and football - BestBall Baseball and Football Events - Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS): DraftKings, FanDuel, and Underdog - Long Shot Player Prop Parlays for NFL I participate in various leagues and contests, including NFBC, NFFC, RTSports, FFPC, DraftKings, Underdog Fantasy, FanDuel, and FFWC, with the goal of leveraging my extensive experience and research for success in each game format. A fantasy follower can expect in-depth profiles of NFL and MLB players, along with season-long and weekly projections for each fantasy football season. In addition, I have many strategy articles to help develop fantasy players' learning curves.
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