Injuries continue to mount throughout the NFL. Over the past two weeks, Marvin Harrison Jr. has been showing why he was labeled a generational talent.
Now, could an injury halt his progression? What is the latest on Harrison’s status? Should fantasy football managers be concerned that he may not play this week?
Will Marvin Harrison Jr. Play in Week 4 vs. the Commanders?
The reality of professional football is it’s almost impossible for any player to remain 100% throughout the year. Everyone is dealing with at least minor nicks and bruises.
Harrison’s ailment is a quad issue. We haven’t heard from head coach Jonathan Gannon on the specifics, but the good news is Harrison didn’t miss practice entirely.
WR Marvin Harrison Jr. appears today on the #AZCardinals injury report as limited with a quadriceps issue.
— Darren Urban (@Cardschatter) September 25, 2024
Harrison getting in a limited session on a Wednesday shouldn’t be ignored, but it also shouldn’t raise any alarm bells. A DNP would be far more concerning.
Harrison continued to be a limited participant in practice on Thursday, but as you can see below, he looks just fine in team drills.
Marvin Harrison Jr. (quad) runs through drills during Arizona Cardinals practice on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/zqnhnaa1Wx
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) September 26, 2024
At this point, I’m not too worried about Harrison’s availability for this week. We’ll know more information on Friday and he could likely be upgraded to a full participant.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon told reporters on Friday that there were no concerns over Harrison’s availability for Week 4.
Should You Start Harrison in Fantasy Lineups?
The only thing certain in the NFL is that nothing is certain. But if you want something as close to certain as possible, it’s wide receivers smashing against the Commanders. There is a decent chance this Sunday ends up being Harrison’s best game of the season.
The Commanders were historically bad against wide receivers last season, and they are historically bad against them again this year. They’re allowing the most fantasy points per game to wide receivers, and it’s not even close between them and the second-worst team (8.3 PPG difference).
Oh Marv cookin again pic.twitter.com/iV9Epr7cEk
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) September 22, 2024
The panic after his one-catch, four-yard performance in Week 1 feels like a lifetime ago. Now, no one is questioning Harrison’s ability. He is an elite WR1 for Week 4.
Who Are the Other Fantasy Options To Consider on the Cardinals?
This might be a good week to fire up all of your Cardinals, especially in light of Trey McBride almost certainly missing this week’s game with a concussion. Kyler Murray can’t throw every pass to Harrison.
Michael Wilson had a really nice outing last week, catching eight passes for 64 yards. He set season-high marks in snap share and routes run. Since the Commanders can’t cover anyone, Wilson is a viable WR4 play this week with way more upside than anyone ranked that low would normally have.
Additionally, Greg Dortch is a deep-league consideration. The diminutive slot receiver will have games where he is peppered with targets, particularly against teams that scheme to take away the deep ball.
The Commanders are not capable of taking away anything through the air. But that has its benefits for Dortch. In the absence of McBride, we could see more three- and four-receiver sets.
Dortch’s snap share hasn’t exceeded 66% yet this season. But he did run 28 routes last week. That’s enough usage to be a passable deep-league option against the softest pass-defense in the NFL.