Greg Dortch took a step back production-wise in 2023, but he was a big part of the Arizona Cardinals’ upset bid against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 of 2024.
Dortch accrued double-digit fantasy points in PPR formats, the type of production that makes a player a very worthwhile roster addition. Is he someone to target on this week’s waiver wire?
Should Greg Dortch Be Added on the Fantasy Waiver Wire in Week 2?
Dortch appeared to be on a logical career trajectory for an undrafted free agent; he got his first snaps with the Panthers in 2019 but did not record a scrimmage yard, caught his first passes with the Cardinals in 2021, and broke out a bit with a 467-yard season in 2022. However, last season, he didn’t take another step up; his yardage total was cut nearly in half.
Now, he appears to potentially be on a better path once again. His 47 yards were not a career-high by any means, due in large part to his performances in 2022, but they surpassed his production from all but one game of 2023. Similarly, his six catches were one away from his 2023 season-high total and a step up from even his 2022 average.
Fantasy managers must ask whether Dortch’s production will be sustainable enough to merit an addition to their roster. This question will be tough to answer without more data, as Arizona’s game on Sunday featured some shocking occurrences.
The first was the relative absence of rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who caught just one pass for four yards. The notion that Dortch will continue to receive close to the most targets on the team would rely on Harrison continuing to be ignored, which is not likely to happen after Arizona spent the fourth overall pick on him.
However, there’s plenty of reason to believe that even if Dortch can’t quite match this level of production every week, he could be of assistance to your team as a rotational player. Arizona’s air game as a whole should be more prolific this season with quarterback Kyler Murray back on the field after the team relied on a combination of Clayton Tune and Joshua Dobbs last season.
Overall, the Cardinals should be better on offense this year while still being underdogs most weeks. This is a great recipe for plenty of passing snaps and production from those dropbacks. If Dortch can continue to be one of Murray’s preferred targets, he could have some value on a week-to-week basis, even as a tertiary option behind Harrison and tight end Trey McBride.