The Arizona Cardinals frequently run three- and four-receiver sets. That keeps A.J. Green and Christian Kirk on the field quite often, much to the delight of fantasy football managers. On a short week, which Cardinals WR should you start Thursday night?
Christian Kirk and A.J. Green are both fantasy-viable
The good news for fantasy managers considering whether to start either Cardinals WR Thursday night is both are worthwhile plays.
Last week, Kirk caught 4 of 5 passes for 50 yards and a touchdown. It was his second consecutive game finding the end zone. Green saw just 3 targets, but he caught all of them for 66 yards. An interesting (but not predictive) pattern: Green has scored a touchdown in every other game this season. He didn’t score last week so do with that what you will.
Kirk is averaging 13.7 PPR points per game and is currently the overall WR32. Green is averaging 11.8 ppg and is currently the overall WR40. Neither player is likely making or breaking your fantasy matchup, but starting the right one can go a long way towards getting your Week 8 started off on the right foot.
The Cardinals have not been as pass-heavy this season
Through seven weeks, the Cardinals have passed the ball on just 51.5% of their offensive plays. That number is down from 55% in 2020 and 60% in 2019.
Now, to be fair, a lot of Arizona’s apparent run-heavy game plan is a result of how often they are blowing out opponents. Lopsided scores lead to fourth quarters where the Cardinals are just handing the ball to James Conner and burning clock.
In the first three quarters with neutral game script (+/- 7 points), the Cardinals pass on 56% of their plays. That’s much more palatable for fantasy managers looking to put Kirk or Green in their lineup Thursday night.
Should fantasy managers start Kirk or Green on Thursday night?
Objectively speaking, both players are worthy of being in fantasy lineups. However, whether you, in particular, should start either of them depends upon your situation.
The Packers are not a great matchup for wide receivers
When conducting my research for this article, I was actually a bit surprised to discover how strong the Packers have been at limiting wide receiver fantasy scoring. Through seven weeks, Green Bay ranks in the top five in fewest fantasy points allowed to wide receivers. The Packers do a great job limiting ancillary wide receivers, in particular.
For example, the Packers allowed good/great fantasy days to the likes of Diontae Johnson, Ja’Marr Chase, and Terry McLaurin. In those games, the other receivers didn’t do much. It’s certainly possible that Kyler Murray leans on DeAndre Hopkins this week.
The other side of the coin is Hopkins’ usage thus far. Murray has been spreading the ball around. Hopkins has just a 22% target share. For context, that’s the lowest target share of his career by far (excluding his rookie season). Last season, Hopkins’ target share was 29%. In 2019, it was over 30%. He’s yet to eclipse 90 receiving yards in a single game.
Kirk and Green are reasonable but risky starts this week
Ultimately, fantasy managers should feel comfortable starting Kirk and Green if their alternatives are suspect.
If you’re dealing with a slew of injuries, you can do far worse than Kirk or Green. Just be aware that both wide receivers come with low floors.
