Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals, Round #1, Pick 4
Marvin Harrison Jr. was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals with the first pick of Round 1, according to Adam Schefter.
Fantasy Football Impact for Marvin Harrison Jr. Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have one of the best draft spots for any wide receiver. They were in dire need of a WR1, and with Harrison, they finally have one. Last season, the Cardinals' highest-scoring receiver in fantasy was Michael Wilson, who was WR60. They lost Marquise Brown to the Chiefs in free agency, and they needed to get Kyler Murray a weapon outside of tight end Trey Mcbride. There is no reason not to believe that Harrison will lead the Cardinals in targets as soon as this season.
Harrison combines physical ability and technical skill to be a dominant receiver in the NFL. He excelled in the deep and intermediate passing game; his speed showed the ability to win vertically, and the need to respect that created the ability to win on both out and in-breaking routes. He is one of the best vertical threats in the draft and will fit perfectly in Drew Petzing’s offensive system. The system is predicated on establishing the rushing attack and then challenging the defenses vertically with play action. Kyler Murray looked more comfortable in the offense down the season's stretch, but the missing ingredient was a player like Harrison who can challenge the defense vertically. Now they have that. Pair him with Mcbride and whoever they add in the draft, and this could be one of the most underrated offenses in the league moving forward.
With this landing spot, he should step in and lead all rookies in targets, and fantasy points should follow. In dynasty, he’s already valued as a top-5 asset, and with this landing spot, that won’t change. Harrison should expect a top-12 finish this season in PPR. While those are lofty expectations for a rookie wide receiver, he has the talent and system to put up those numbers.
The Fantasy Football Fallout
Without knowing what other pieces the Cardinals will add to their offense, it’s hard to say just how good this offense can be in 2024. However, with the expectation that they add pieces around Kyler Murray, they could challenge to be a top-10 unit. It comes down to your faith in Murray as a quarterback.
Last season, after an ACL surgery, Murray had a record of three wins and five losses. He threw for 1,799 yards, ten touchdowns, and five interceptions with a completion rate of 65.6%. He also rushed for 244 yards and scored three touchdowns on 44 carries. While his stats don’t pop off the paper, there was real optimism towards the end of the season. Murray and the offense picked up momentum in the last four games, and the Cardinals staff is optimistic about the future.
In those last four games, he improved his completion rate to 70.3%, passing for 935 yards, seven touchdowns, and three interceptions during that stretch. This helped the Cardinals finish strong offensively, leading the league in total offense with 414.3 yards per game in the final four weeks. The running game also excelled, averaging 188.5 yards per game and scoring four touchdowns in those games. Adding Harrison to this offense and other pieces makes Murray one of my favorite targets in all formats in fantasy. He is still a buy in dynasty, and in redraft with his rushing upside and a year removed from his ACL, Murray should be a target for all managers.
The selection of Harrison doesn’t hurt too many other players on this roster. Some will say it hurts McBride’s upside, but he’s still the second option on the offense. He saw top-24 targets in the redzone last year, and with an improved offense, that number should go up due to the lack of weapons in that offense. McBride will be one of my favorite buys in the dynasty format.
Stock Watch
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Overview
Marvin Harrison Jr. is one of the best receiving prospects in the last decade. He landed in an ideal situation for a rookie wide receiver with an elite quarterback and a great offense. He will be an immediate contributor in fantasy football.
For more information on the 2024 NFL Draft, check out the Footballguys Rookie Draft Guide, where you can read about Marvin Harrison Jr. and other rookie team fits.