Fantasy Upside
As the team's official website notes, the Cardinals passed on big-name wideouts to sign Butler to a two-year, $2.6 million deal in April. He becomes another option for the No. 2 wide receiver role behind star Larry Fitzgerald. Butler has one of the longest resumes among the candidates, with 73 catches for 1,177 yards, and eight touchdowns in five NFL seasons.
Butler hopes previous success against the Cardinals will carry over as he joins them. In 2014, he hauled in a 55-yard pass against the Cardinals while with the Raiders. Last season he played a pivotal role in the Cowboys’ 28-17 win at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Week 3, catching two passes for 90 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown to break a fourth-quarter tie.
Fantasy Downside
He had 15 catches for 317 yards and three scores a year ago for the Cowboys, averaging a robust 21.1 yards per catch. AZCardinals.com's Kyle Odegard explained, however, an average that high generally means a player isn’t getting the lion’s share of targets. That was the case in Dallas as Butler sat behind Dez Bryant, Terrence Williams, and Cole Beasley on the depth chart. The fact he never rose higher—even with Bryant struggling in recent seasons, isn't promising. As Bleacher Report put it, "Butler still hasn't equaled the sum of his parts. He's a highly athletic receiver who doesn't do enough of the little things to ever warrant starter snaps."
2018 Bottom Line
The pecking order in Arizona remains undetermined, with Butler competing against J.J. Nelson, Chad Williams, and rookie Christian Kirk for playing time. So Butler has a chance to establish a role. But fantasy managers shouldn't bank on him doing so until/unless they see evidence of it prior to Week 1.
