Marquise Brown was set up for a mammoth season with his best friend Kyler Murray slinging him the ball in 2022. He got off to a fast start when the Cardinals were without DeAndre Hopkins. Then, tragedy struck. Brown got injured, Kyler got hurt, and soon, so did the rest of the Arizona Cardinals franchise. A whole staff got let go. A new staff comes in. The Cardinals are now in a rebuild. So, where does that leave Marquise Brown? He’s set up to play for a contract in his platform year. Hollywood Brown will do his best to get that Hollywood Star and the big bucks that come with it. This season will be very interesting for the Arizona Cardinals. One thing is certain-Marquise Brown is going to get a ton of targets. From who? Who knows.
2022 Season Recap
Marquise Brown was on pace for a career season in 2022. Through Week 6, Brown had already racked up 43 catches on 64 targets for 485 yards and three touchdowns. You apply that production to a full 17-game season -and he would’ve ended up with 181 targets, 121 catches, 1,374 yards, and nine touchdowns. That’s why it devastated fantasy and dynasty owners when he broke his foot. He wound up missing five games, and by the time he returned, he played only one measly game with Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins.
Brown struggled down the stretch to close out the season without his best friend Murray, as did the rest of the Cardinals team. From Week 12 on, he had only 43 targets, 24 catches, 224 yards, and zero touchdowns. Thus, he ended what could’ve been a career year with only 67 catches on 107 targets for 709 yards and three touchdowns. That’s a far cry from what he was on pace to reach potentially. There were still some positives to be had, like he was 15th in expected fantasy points per game and top-thirty in numerous other categories. Dynasty owners will be left with many what-ifs, though not as many as Arizona Cardinals fans.
2023 Season Projections
The Arizona Cardinals are in for a very tough season, especially for dynasty owners. The Cardinals will be without Kyler Murray and Zach Ertz for an indefinite period while they both rehab from major knee injuries. Arizona has an all-new front office and coaching staff. They will be running the ball pretty heavily compared to an almost non-existent rush game. The defense is in tatters. The Cardinals are playing for the future and not this year. There’s a ton of mystery surrounding them and who will be throwing the ball that Hollywood Brown is risky in dynasty right now.
He’s on just a one-year deal. That means he’ll be a free agent in a year’s time. He could re-sign or go somewhere else that destroys his dynasty production/value. At least for this year, you know that you’ll have the top receiver and target in this Cardinals’ offense that will likely be playing from behind for much of the season. Despite Colt McCoy and Clayton Tune being no one’s definition of an ideal fantasy-friendly quarterback, they will still get the ball to Marquise Brown. Brown should be a reliable and “safe” WR2 for this year. The future is extremely murky. This year? You can safely slot him in for 100+ targets, 13 ppg, and WR2 numbers. That’s a solid asset for a contender. He’s an elite WR3 on your contending roster this year.
Long-Term Dynasty Outlook
As mentioned above, Marquise Brown does carry quite a bit of risk in a dynasty. He’s only played an entire season once in his four years in the league. He’s a free agent to be. The Cardinals likely won’t re-sign him. There are decent odds he signs somewhere and isn’t the main guy or a highly productive fantasy player. If that happens, you just dealt late-first or multiple seconds for a guy that is a flex-caliber player. I wouldn’t advise buying into Hollywood until we know when Murray will return. When Kyler comes back, the targets will be aplenty for Hollywood. However, don’t expect Marquise Brown to land a Hollywood star anytime soon. As a rebuilder, hold until Kyler comes back and take advantage of a contender in need of a wide receiver. You’ll be able to get a first-round pick as he is only in his age-26 season.
Marquise Brown is a talented wide receiver. He’s going to help your contending dynasty team win this year. Just be cautious about spending too much for him. His future is as mysterious as the writer’s strike affecting Hollywood. It was easy to see coming, and who knows how long it lasts. Marquise Brown can be a Hollywood star on your dynasty roster, just so long as he is your WR3.
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As always, May the Force be with You…
