06/11/2026
There's been a lot of hype around Michael Wilson becoming the WR1 in Arizona this offseason & it's hype I just can't get behind.
First, let's get it straight, Trey McBride is the top receiver in Arizona. But as for the WR room, there's a clear indication based off of the statistics from last season that Michael Wilson heavily benefited from Marvin Harrison Jr's absence.
You can see in the splits, Wilson was an elite WR1 averaging 21.4 PPG when MHJ wasn't on the field. Those are legit numbers that shouldn't be ignored. However, when MHJ was on the field, even later in the season when Wilson was breaking out, his numbers dropped significantly down to 5.5 PPG.
Again, Wilson displayed great talent last season, even won me some leagues of my own, but the expectation that he is going to come in and pick up where he was last season is just unrealistic. We also have to remember that the Cardinals were slinging it late last season because they had no run game due to injuries. They just drafted Jeremiyah Love with the 3rd overall pick who will also get the ball thrown his way a fair share as well. The overall increase in passing volume late last season is another contributor to Wilson's breakout.
Yes, Wilson displayed elite fantasy numbers last season. Yes, I still expect him to be very involved in the passing game. Yes, the Cardinals new HC is going to take this offense to another level as a Sean McVey disciple, which will benefit Wilson. Yeah, I even expect Wilson to outperform his WR39 ADP. But do I think he should be taken over MHJ, no I don't.
Who's your pick... Marvin Harrison Jr. or Michael Wilson?
