Getty Larry Fitzgerald has been the go-to receiver for Kyler Murray.
The Arizona Cardinals and rookie quarterback Josh Rosen will be at home for Thursday Night Football in Week 7 against the Denver Broncos. While the game doesn’t seem overly appealing on the surface from a fantasy football perspective, there are a few intriguing options to consider playing.
But one name who’s had a tough go of it this season is Cardinals’ All-Pro wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. For “Larry Legend,” much of this has come down to injuries, as he’s battled them essentially from the start of the year. In turn, fantasy owners have been forced to leave Fitzgerald on their bench for the most part.
Let’s break down whether Fitzgerald is a start or sit this week against the Broncos, and dive a bit deeper into his matchup.
Key Stats and Larry Fitzgerald’s Fantasy Outlook
I’ll break down the matchup, recent production and a few other key numbers for Fitzgerald and the Cardinals in Week 7. 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)
- Fitzgerald has played at least 82 percent of the team’s offensive snaps in each of the past four games, per Football Outsiders
- Fitzgerald has topped 40 receiving yards just once this season and is yet to catch a touchdown
- Likely to draw coverage from Chris Harris in a tough matchup
The matchup certainly scares me here, but it’s just one of many reasons to have concerns over the future Hall-of-Fame receiver. The Cardinals may be playing from behind in this game (potentially), but even if that’s the case I’m having a hard time buying into the idea of using him.
Should You Start or Sit Larry Fitzgerald?
Unfortunately, Week 7 won’t be the one I’m giving Fitzgerald the nod as a starter in fantasy lineups. There are too many areas of concern right now between his injury, lack of consistent targets, the matchup and the fact he’s yet to find the end zone.
There’s no question Fitzgerald is one of the NFL’s elite all-time wideouts, but he’s playing with a rookie quarterback against a solid defense. I love using big names in primetime games on their home field, but I just can’t get there on Thursday with the veteran wideout.
I’d recommend sitting Fitzgerald in all formats until he’s healthy and shows a stronger connection with Rose.
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