Buy or Sell: Larry Fitzgerald

For the seven seasons between 2005 and 2011 Larry Fitzgerald was fantasy money, competing even for the top WR off the board in some years. Then the Cardinals fell on hard times at the QB position and the return started turning into quarters on the dollar.

Carson Palmer arrived last season in Arizona and he brought some relevance back in terms of getting Fitzgerald in the end zone. But his total yardage and average per catch numbers have declined dramatically over two seasons. Into his 11^th season, does the presence of Michael Floyd and others rejuvenate the aging wideout? Or are the last two seasons sign of a permanent slow decline?

Larry Fitzgerald
ADP: 37.1
WR: 12

Buy: John Vomhof Jr.

Larry Fitzgerald isn’t the elite, top-five wide receiver he used to be. But that’s OK because he doesn’t have to be at his going rate.

A borderline first-rounder just a few years ago, Fitzgerald’s now going at a reduced price: 38th overall and 12th at his position. That’s solid value for a All Pro talent for who caught 82 passes for 954 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2013 – especially if you’re able to land him as your WR2.

Teammate Michael Floyd is a popular pick this year, and rightly so, but there should be plenty of action to go around for two fantasy wide receivers – not unlike in Chicago (Brandon Marshall/Alshon Jeffery) and Atlanta (Julio Jones/Roddy White).

Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians loves to throw the ball, and the offense should run even more efficiently in Year 2 of his system. Plus, he has a knack for maximizing the play of aging WRs by getting them into the slot in the three- and four-wide sets. That’s what he did with the Colts’ Reggie Wayne in 2012, when the then-33-year-old WR put up a 106-1,355-5 stat line.

Sell: Andy

It was said that all Larry Fitzgerald needed to get back to fantasy prominence was a legit QB. And Carson Palmer did help Fitz get back in the end zone — the Cardinals vet scored 10 times in 2013.

But for the second straight year his average yards per catch was less than 12 — down from his career high 17.6 in 2011 and lower than all but two other years of his career. His yardage total was below the 1,000 yard mark for the second year in a row, as well. It feels as though Fitz has lost a step.

Factor in the ascending Michael Floyd and the emergence of a rookie the Cardinals really like in John Brown and I think more balls go in other directions this year.

I’m not saying Fitz falls off the table altogether. He’ll still put up a solid stat line.

But I’d like a little more certainty or a little more upside from a fourth round draft pick. Who do I like better? Keenan Allen, WR 15, going half a round later. Roddy White, WR 18, going more than a round after Fitz. Percy Harvin, WR 19, going 14 picks after the Cardinal. Possibly even his teammate, Michael Floyd, whose value as an early eighth rounder is certainly better than what you’ll get drafting Fitz in the fourth. Is it over for him? No, but I’ll let someone else take a gamble on what they’re going to get as the returns start declining.

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