Camp Notes, Volume Three: Arizona Cardinals

Curtis Patrick Posted On July 28, 2017

Dynasty fantasy football is our beloved stripped-down approximation of the NFL. We are the head coaches and general managers of our teams, choosing who stays or goes, and who plays or sits. NFL Training Camps are perhaps the best opportunity we have on the dynasty calendar to project how useful our assets will be in the coming season, particularly when it comes to managing the bottom third of our roster. The better you know the rosters of every NFL team, the more prepared you’ll be to execute the corresponding dynasty moves when camp news breaks. I’m mining all the beat reports, team websites, and post-practice press conferences to bring you a comprehensive overview of what’s going on this summer in all 32 training camps.

Arizona Cardinals

Our third stop on the 2017 DLF Training Camp Tour is with the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals entered 2016 among the favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, injuries and health issues for several key players, including quarterback Carson Palmer and wide receiver John Brown derailed their season.

The team boasts a strong complement of offensive skill players, but due to the injuries, last season essentially became a Larry Fitzgerald and David Johnson celebration tour. This season, the pair will look to repeat its strong showing, but with additional aid from Palmer and Brown, who are both in camp on time and appear healthy. Johnson is already talking about the possibility of joining the exclusive 1000/1000 club (rushing yards, receiving yards) in 2017.

Below is a rundown of all players I project to have dynasty relevance in 2017 in a typical 12-team league with 24-man rosters (288 players rostered).

screen shot 2017 07 28 at 09.03.24

The Cardinals have been in camp for a full week as all players reported on July 21. Carson Palmer has already been given two days off and I anticipate this won’t be the last time he’s given extra rest. Drew Stanton has been running the first team offense when Palmer rests.

Wide receiver John Brown has been hogging the beat writer attention throughout the week.

Smokey Brown looks like the old Smoke today. A great sign after last year. #CardsCamp

— Darren Urban (@Cardschatter) July 27, 2017

Smokey Brown catches 31-yard TD pass to open 11-on-11 work. Next snap, beat defense to end zone again but was overthrown.

— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) July 27, 2017

I already liked Brown as a buy-low target throughout the off-season, but now that there is evidence he is fully healthy, he has become a screaming buy. The one-time 1,000 yard receiver could end up being one of the better investment opportunities of training camp for owners who can act quickly and decisively. I expect a buzz to start and grow leading up to the season.

2017 third round pick Chad Williams has also made his presence felt early. Of Williams’ place on the depth chart, Head Coach Bruce Arians said, “He’s getting a ton of reps…if you’re only getting 10 reps, you might be 12th. But if you’re getting 45 reps, it doesn’t really matter where that depth chart says you are.”

Williams has been rising in the DLF Rookie Ranks throughout the off-season and is now ranked at 31 overall and WR14. I rank Williams at WR10 among rookies.

In the running back group, I expect David Johnson to turn in something resembling his 2016 stat line again in 2017. I own a few shares, and I’ll be trying to move them during the season. His dynasty value will never be higher than it is right now. Chris Johnson was signed this week to reprise his supporting role; he will likely be a free add in your league and could be worth a roster spot to a contender in the event that David Johnson is injured. The name to file away for future reference in the running back group is rookie T.J. Logan. He’s been singled out already for his pass protection. He profiles as a change of pace back who could potentially replace Andre Ellington. DLF’s Bruce Matson compiled some post-combine athletic comps for Logan prior to the NFL Draft.

screen shot 2017 07 28 at 09.03.42

Woodhead and Best are names that have me interested in Logan. There is also no one above him on the Cardinals depth chart that carries any dynasty weight. Dynasty owners could do worse things with an open roster spot than speculatively adding Logan.

Jermaine Gresham is clearly off most dynasty owners’ radars, but he signed a new four-year contract in the off-season after quietly posting TE15 PPR numbers over the final eight games of 2016. Gresham is probably available in most leagues as he is not being drafted in the top 240 of startups and he is not ranked in the consensus top 50 at the tight end position by DLF rankers. Contenders who are thin at the position should consider adding him for bye week depth in case the performance carries over to this season.

Projected Cuts (among dynasty relevant players): None

Projected ADP Risers

Players Who Will Rise 1 or more rounds in startup ADP by the end of the 2017 Season: John Brown, Chad Williams

Projected ADP Fallers

Players Who Will Fall 1 or more rounds in startup ADP by the end of the 2017 Season: Larry Fitzgerald, Carson Palmer

Waiver Wire Watch List (players with ADP >240): T.J. Logan, Jermaine Gresham, Chris Johnson