Fantasy Football Player Notes

DeAndre Hopkins missed the first six games of the season due to suspension and the final two weeks with a knee sprain, but when he was on the field, he proved he hadn't hit the age cliff yet. Hopkins is entering his age-31 season and could be playing for a new team in 2023, but there's reason to think he still has at least one top-flight season left. Hopkins was the WR9 in fantasy points per game last season, drawing a 29.4% target share (fourth-best) and 43.5% air-yard share (second-best). Hopkins can still draw volume with the best of them, but his efficiency did tick down a bit as he was 17th in yards per route run and 35th in open rate (tied with Christian Kirk, per ESPN analytics). Hopkins' 2023 prospects are muddied until we know his home for the upcoming season, but expecting WR2 production out of him isn't insane.

When James Conner was healthy in 2022, it was hard to argue with his elite production and role in the Arizona Cardinals offense. He was the RB4 overall in his last eight games, averaging 17 fantasy points per game (RB6, RB10 in expected points per game) while playing over 90% of his team's snaps in five contests. No other Cardinals running back was able to threaten Conner's volume, which led to him to an absurd workload. If Arizona invests in the No. 2 running back position this offseason we could easily see Conner's workload get reduced in some capacity. Arizona will have a new head coach, who could bring a more RBBC approach to the offense. There's also Conner's durability issues that came to fruition that fantasy managers need to be aware of. He missed four games entirely and left three other games early because of injuries. Conner is entering his age-28 season.

DeAndre Hopkins could be on the move this offseason which means Marquise Brown could revisit his 2022 early-season usage. In Weeks 1-6, he was the WR7 in fantasy as he saw elite alpha-level love. He had a 26% target share, a 40.5% air yard share, and 2.00 yards per route run. Brown proved up to the task of operating as Arizona's number one receiving option. He was 24th in open rate last year, immediately behind Jakobi Meyers (per ESPN analytics). Brown is a WR2 currently that could rise more once Hopkins is moved. Consider him a high-end number two option with the possibility of more in 2023.

The first tight end taken in the 2022 NFL Draft, second-rounder Trey McBride played sparingly early in the season but took on a larger role after Zach Ertz sustained a season-ending knee injury in Week 10. Over Arizona's final seven games, McBride was targeted 35 times and had 25-234-1. McBride finished his college career at Colorado State with a 90-catch, 1,121-yard season, but he's not likely to get that sort of usage anytime soon. It's possible McBride could get additional snaps and targets early in the season if Ertz isn't able to play in September, but even if that's the case, McBride might not be playing early-season games with QB Kyler Murray, who also tore his ACL late last season.

Kyler Murray will pose an interesting dilemma for fantasy drafters in 2023. A dangerous dual-threat QB who's averaged 21.2 fantasy points over 57 NFL starts, Murray tore his ACL on Dec. 12 and may not be ready for the start of the season, so his recovery will have to be monitored closely over the summer. Murray regressed as a passer in 2022, averaging just 6.1 yards per attempt. But Murray finished QB2 in fantasy scoring in 2020, and at his best he's a difference-making quarterback who can rack up fantasy points with both his arm and his legs.

Zach Ertz was TE3 in half-point PPR fantasy scoring through the first 10 weeks of the 2022 season, but he tore his ACL and MCL on Nov. 13. It's not clear whether Ertz will be ready for Week 1, but he should be back early in the season. The question is whether the 32-year-old Ertz will be fit enough to continue his late-career resurgence. After seven strong seasons with the Eagles, Ertz had a nightmarish 2020 in which he had 36-335-1 in 11 games, missing five games with a high-ankle sprain. Ertz started the 2021 season sluggishly, but then a trade to the Cardinals seemed to rejuvenate him, and he produced useful numbers until he went down last year. Not only is Ertz coming off a major injury, but he may have to share snaps and targets with talented young Cardinals TE Trey McBride. If you're thinking about investing in Ertz for 2023, insist on a discount.