Fantasy Reaction: Arizona Cardinals Pick Up Kyler Murray’s 5th Year Option (Fantasy Football)
To no one’s surprise, the Arizona Cardinals have picked up the fifth year option on their franchise QB, Kyler Murray. Arizona selected Murray with the number one overall pick in 2019, so this fifth year option keeps him in the desert until 2023 at a minimum. Murray and the Cardinals have been in the news most of the off-season as the two sides look to come to agreement on a long-term deal. This fifth year option is likely just a placeholder until both sides can reach an agreement, likely in the coming months. In Murray’s young career, he’s already made two Pro Bowls and was named the 2019 Offensive Rookie of the Year.
For fantasy, this only further solidifies that Murray is going to be wearing a Cardinals uniform for years to come. In his three professional seasons, he’s banked fantasy finishes of QB7, QB2, and QB10 a year ago thanks in part to missing three games with an ankle injury. At just 24.7 years old, we should expect several top 10 fantasy seasons moving forward, making him one of the most highly coveted QBs in all of dynasty fantasy football. Last year, Murray struggled down the stretch, especially after his top weapon, DeAndre Hopkins‘ season ended early due to an MCL injury. With Hopkins in the lineup, Murray averaged 25.8 fantasy points per game vs. 21.0 points per game without Hopkins. With Hopkins back, we can likely expect similar production as to what we saw early in the season when Kyler was a top five fantasy option at the position.
One thing to monitor this season is Kyler’s rushing volume and efficiency. In his first two years in the league, he averaged 6.5 fantasy points per game based on rushing production alone. Last year, he only averaged 5.2 fantasy points per game with his legs. If Kyler returns to his rushing form from his first two years in the league, he’s got a chance to push for a top three fantasy finish at the QB position in 2022.