Getty Arizona Cardinals WR Christian Kirk
The NFL schedule has led us to a Week 7 matchup of the 2-4 Denver Broncos against the 1-5 Arizona Cardinals. On paper, it’s not much to be excited about. Fortunately, there are a few names to consider in both season-long fantasy football and daily fantasy. I’m going to break down one receiver who’s come into his own as year one of his career has rolled along – Cardinals wideout Christian Kirk.
While there are only so many leagues where you’re likely considering starting Kirk, he could certainly be in consideration as a bye-week filler. Based on recent production and the connection he has with rookie quarterback Josh Rosen, Kirk could be a name to watch for the remainder of the season.
Let’s take a deeper dive into the situation and decide whether the Cardinals receiver is a start or sit for fantasy owners this week.
Key Stats and Christian Kirk’s Fantasy Outlook
I’ll break down the matchup, recent production and a few other key numbers for Kirk in Week 7 against Denver. All information on fantasy points and statistics for defense vs. position are from ESPN.
- Denver Broncos vs. wide receivers in 2018: 73 receptions, 951 yards, six touchdowns (No. 10 fewest fantasy points per game)
- Kirk has played at least 63 percent of the team’s offensive snaps in every game this year, per Football Outsiders
- Totaled 77 or more receiving yards in three of the last four games while receiving 24 targets over that span
- Larry Fitzgerald likely to draw coverage from Chris Harris in a tough matchup
The matchup isn’t ideal with the Broncos, but I love home teams in primetime games. Also, if Fitzgerald does indeed draw shadow coverage from Harris, then it should open up the field quite a bit for Kirk to go to work. His strong rapport with Rosen is enough to at least put him in consideration as a flex play and/or bye week filler in many cases.
Should You Start or Sit Christian Kirk?
Rosen has actually targeted Kirk more than Fitzgerald (19-18) since taking over as the starting quarterback. The situation as a whole lays out nicely for the rookie receiver and I believe he could be in for a solid game, especially if the Cardinals are playing from behind.
Assuming the Cardinals don’t get completely blown out (highly unlikely), or don’t just run Denver out of the building (even more unlikely), I like Kirk in this spot. He has a pretty high upside opportunity and on the surface should have a nice floor. He’s a spot-start in the flex for 12-team leagues depending on your situation and is in play as a WR3 or flex option in 14-team leagues or larger.
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