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Michael Floyd had a disappointing rookie season in 2012, with 45 receptions for 562 yards and two touchdowns, but he did show signs of progress with 14 catches for 213 yards and a touchdown over the final two games of that season. The addition of Carson Palmer under center for Arizona was good news for him heading into the 2013 season, and fantasy football owners could see some upside potential for the Cardinals’ passing game as a whole.
Floyd did not immediately become an elite fantasy option in his second NFL season, but he did finish with 65 receptions for 1,041 yards (16 yards per catch) and five touchdowns along with 17 catches that went for 20 or more yards. It’s worth noting he played all 16 games despite being bothered by shoulder and ankle issues throughout the season, so are better things coming next season?
Larry Fitzgerald led the Cardinals in receptions (82) and touchdowns (10) last season, and his role as a primary target for Palmer will not go away in 2014. But he is clearly no longer among the elite wide receivers in the league, and Cardinals’ head coach Bruce Arians has hinted that he wants to use Fitzgerald out of the slot more going forward.
Floyd seemed to be woefully underused in the red zone last season, with 12 targets in that area of the field, despite having the size (6’3″, 220 lbs.) and skills to theoretically be a very useful option. The group of wide receivers that had the same amount of red zone targets as Floyd in 2013 includes Greg Little, Eddie Royal and David Nelson, while others like Jarrett Boykin, Marvin Jones and Kris Durham had more red zone targets. I fully expect Arians to find ways to use Floyd better in the red zone next season, and his touchdown total should follow suit.
We’ll likely have to wait until 2015 for Floyd to become a top-tier WR1 in fantasy leagues, but he is clearly a player on the rise and has the makings of a WR2 with serious upside in 12-team leagues next year.
Brad Berreman is a Senior Writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter @bradberreman24.
