This is the third time in five weeks that the Cardinals' passing offense has been featured here. Who'da thunk it?
Carson Palmer and his boys have been blessed with several positive matchups this year, and they have been able to take full advantage on most occasions. Palmer enters Week 5 ranked fifth in Passing NEP per play among the 37 quarterbacks with at least 40 drop backs. As a team, they are second in Adjusted Passing NEP per play once you take their schedule into account. They've got themselves another juicy matchup here.
The Detroit Lions have not enjoyed 2015 thus far. Their offensive struggles have been well documented, but they also sit 28th in Adjusted Defensive Passing NEP per play. They have been much better against the run, ranking eighth in Adjusted Defensive Rushing NEP per play, so the Cardinals could be forced to attack through the air, even with Andre Ellington back. This leads to additional potential volume to go with the noted efficiency.
Obviously, if this is a matchup you're targeting in cash games, you're going to want to gravitate toward Larry Fitzgerald. He's currently third in Reception NEP per target among the 54 receivers with at least 20 targets. His per-game target total has been between 8 and 11 in all four games this year, meaning he brings the exact helping of consistency that we want. Even at $7,400 on FanDuel and $6,800 on DraftKings, he's a great buy.
If you're stacking with Palmer in a tourney, John Brown appears to be the better option. Ownership should be lower on him, and he'll also give you some relief from Palmer's inflated salary as Brown sits at $5,900 on FanDuel and $5,100 on DraftKings. His targets haven't been as consistent or as high as Fitzgerald's, but he's had at least five in each game, and he topped out at 10 last week. Either way, both of these guys are in a good spot for Sunday, and you'd be wise to get ownership in this offense.