With the departure of Christian Kirk, the slot is now open in Arizona, and Rondale Moore has been working hard to fill it in the offseason. Word on the local beat says that he is “the guy,” and so does Cardinals Coach Kliff Kingsbury. Kingsbury was recently quoted, “…we feel he (Moore) can step into Christian’s role and play at a high level inside there.”
Moore had a very up and down 2021. His rookie stock was high, and landing in Arizona with Kyler Murray should have helped. But instead, he took a step back. He couldn’t climb the depth chart, and injuries did him no favors either. But 2022 is a new year, and Rondale Moore could capitalize and be the post-hype sleeper of my dreams…and yours too, if you draft him.
Note: Our Wednesday, July 13th, No Punt Intended episode will look at Rondale Moore in fantasy football! We welcome Nate Hamilton, the new editor for The Gambling Group! The show will dig into the Raiders, Cardinals, and Cowboys.
Rondale Moore In Fantasy Football
It certainly was not the best rookie year for Rondale Moore. He only ended up playing about 37% of the team’s total plays and finished the year with 54 receptions for 435 yards and just a single touchdown on 65 targets. Overall, he was the WR65 in fantasy football.
It’s true that his numbers weren’t anything to write home about last season, but the crowded field of wide receivers and missing four games didn’t help his cause. However, he certainly made up for what he lacked in statistics with speed and explosive play. Rondale Moore is extremely fun to watch. He’s probably the fastest in the WR room, even with the addition of former Raven Hollywood Brown.
In preparation for the 2022-2023 season, Moore started taking Pilates classes in addition to his regular workouts. He also began to develop his route-running further and take a deeper dive into the playbook. What I love most about the interviews I’ve read with Rondale Moore is that he’s focused on improving his personal skills, not on being Kirk’s replacement.
“I’ve just been working on myself and getting better,” Moore said. “I’m not here to replace anyone or be like anyone else.”
With DeAndre Hopkins missing the first six games of the season, Moore will undoubtedly see an increase in snaps. This early season set of games is his opportunity to showcase his speed, agility, and ball skills. The man has great hands; there’s no denying that. In my (not so expert) opinion, he just needed, and still needs, the opportunity to play. He will get exactly that in the first month of the season. Hopefully, he doesn’t miss any games and thrives in this role.
So, you’re probably asking yourself, “Where do I draft Rondale Moore?”. You’ll see him going around the 8th or 9th rounds if you’re in a dynasty startup. However, if you’re playing in a redraft league, you’re likely to be able to roster him in the 13th or 14th rounds. So, I’m comfortable drafting him in the 8th to 10th round of both dynasty or redraft. I’m slightly biased, though.
With that ADP, Moore represents almost no risk. In a Cardinals offense led by Kyler Murray, there is a lot of reward to be had, as well. With AJ Green a year older and Marquise Brown still learning the offense, it would not surprise me one bit if Rondale Moore is the Cardinals’ top WR after the first six games. Things will get more interesting when Hopkins returns, but that’s a problem for October.
A Look Inside the Arizona Cardinals
Editor’s Note: We asked our writers to focus on one player, but we don’t want to leave you hanging on the rest of the team. While Kelly focused on Rondale Moore in fantasy football, here is a quick look at the rest of the Cardinals, prepared by either Josh Hudson or Ryan Weisse.
Kyler Murray: It’s an overused phrase, but it is a make-or-break year for Kyler Murray. He has been hit-or-miss as a pro to this point. It’s a contract year, and he has the best weapons of his career. Hopefully, we see a better rushing upside than we did in 2021. He projects as a top-5 QB again this year, but after last year, we know that he could easily be mediocre. –Ryan Weisse
James Conner: Conner was a revelation and league-winner last year. He took over as the lead back and finished as the RB5 in fantasy. With over 100 total yards and 18 TDs, his ADP has skyrocketed in 2022. Wait, you can still land him in the 3rd Round as the RB15? Yeah, he’s still a value. –Ryan Weisse
Darrell Williams / Keaontay Ingram: Someone has to fill the Chase Edmonds role. That leaves 116 carries and 53 targets up for grabs. If one of these two gets all that work, they will have RB3 upside. If they split it, Williams is more suited for the carries, Ingram for the targets, and neither will matter in fantasy football. –Ryan Weisse
Marquise Brown: Brown is going to be great for this offense. He has game-breaking speed and will mesh quickly with Kyler Murray. His fantasy value will come down to one thing: targets. How much will they throw him the ball? Murray typically spreads it around but threw to his WR1 almost ten times per game in 2020. If Brown sees 8-10 targets per game, he will be a top-15 option. If it falls below that, he will be a middling WR2. –Ryan Weisse
DeAndre Hopkins: Hopkins will miss the season’s first six games and come back to a team where he is being challenged as the WR1. Gone are the 10-target per game days. He was the WR46 in just ten games last season, and I’m not sure how much better he’ll be in 2022. –Ryan Weisse
AJ Green: AJ Green was fantasy relevant in 2021 (Insert I told you so), but 2022 will be a different story. Green’s best games last year were sans DeAndre Hopkins, and he was the only outside WR on the team. That changes with the addition of Marquise Brown. I think we can finally write the future Hall of Famer off in fantasy –Ryan Weisse
Zach Ertz: Ertz, like Green, benefited heavily from Hopkins’ hobbled season. He was also the only healthy TE on the roster to end the season. With Hopkins missing time early, Ertz might have a nice September but expect an overall step back. –Ryan Weisse
Trey McBride: Rookie TEs take time. Even moreso when they are trapped on the depth chart. Yes, he was the first rookie TE off the board, but he should not be on your Redraft radar. Ryan Weisse
We hope you enjoyed our look at Rondale Moore for fantasy football this season. You can find all of our A Look Inside articles here!
If you’re prepping for your dynasty drafts, you can also find our rookie consensus rankings here.