Marquise Brown Fantasy Outlook & Injury Update 2022 (Great Value From a Change in Scenery)

Marquise Brown has improved in each of his three NFL seasons, culminating in a No. 22 wide receiver finish in PPR-scoring fantasy football leagues in 2021. He surpassed 1,000 yards with the Baltimore Ravens for the first time, but was ultimately traded away to the Arizona Cardinals during the draft.

With that being the case, it's no surprise to see Brown remain at the tail end of WR2 territory in fantasy football rankings. His average draft position (ADP) has him going as the 21st wide receiver off the board and as a mid fifth-round selection.

Marquise Brown Fantasy Football Outlook

Brown's offseason trade surprised a lot of people considering he became the first 1,000-yard WR that quarterback Lamar Jackson has ever played with. His target total also rose to 146, which was the 10th-highest mark in the NFL. That is a lot of added pressure to put on tight end Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman. Nevertheless, Brown now gets to reunite with his former college QB in Kyler Murray and take on a substantial role in a much more pass-friendly offense.

Murray has never shied away from launching the ball down the field. In fact, the Arizona starter ranked among the top-five QBs in deep ball passing rate and deep ball adjusted completion rate in 2021. Brown's ability to burn opposing defenders should allow for a couple of big play connections. It's important to note that star WR DeAndre Hopkins is set to miss the first six games of the regular season due to a suspension. Brown is going to be the No. 1 WR on the depth chart during that span. That same thing cannot be said about other players taken around his ADP.

When it comes down to it, Brown is taking on the role left by Christian Kirk. Kirk saw 7.3 targets per game when Hopkins was injured or left early last year and saw 5.0 targets per game when Hopkins was healthy. He was a volume-based option that finished as the No. 26 WR in fantasy football. Seeing Brown finish as anything but a reliable WR2 would be a disappointment.

Marquise Brown Injury Update

Brown has stayed relatively healthy over the last two seasons, missing only one game with a thigh injury. A hamstring issue caused him to open training camp on the non-football injury list, though. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury remains hopeful that Brown can return to practice in early August.

A hamstring injury can be tough for a wide receiver that relies on their speed like Brown. Of course, missing practice reps when trying to learn a new offense is not a positive thing, either. Keep an eye on the 25-year-old as he looks to make his way back to full health before Week 1.

Marquise Brown Projections

Projections from the NFL odds on FanDuel Sportsbook expect Brown to finish in the middle of the pack. He's 22nd to lead the NFL in receiving yards (+4000), which is a few spots ahead of where he finished in 2021 with 1,008 yards. He's also 38th to lead the NFL in receiving touchdowns (+7500). That is obviously going to be a much harder title to take home considering Brown has never posted more than 8 touchdowns in one campaign. When taking Brown's averages over the last two years into account (4.7 touches per game, 11.8-yard average), a 1,000-yard season seems in grasp with his new team.

Is Marquise Brown a Good Fantasy Football Pick?

When it comes down to it, is Brown someone to target in the middle rounds? For sure. The Oklahoma product has an opportunity to post WR1 numbers in the early months and WR2 numbers the rest of the way. He's the No. 22 wide receiver in The Duel's PPR fantasy football rankings.

The attention opposing defenses have to put on Hopkins to keep him from dominating the game cannot be overlooked here. It will allow Brown to get open over the middle of the field more often for a team that averaged 244.3 passing yard per game in 2021 (No. 11 in NFL).

If you've drafted Brown this year, or you're a Cardinals fan, make sure to check out the best Arizona Cardinals fantasy football team names for your squad.

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Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.