Christian Kirk

Week 2 at Baltimore Ravens

Christian Kirk only had 32 yards on four catches last week against the Lions, but he was targeted 12 times and is clearly a major part of the offense. Kirk also caught a key two-point conversion that forced the game into overtime. While he’s likely to continue to get quality looks in this offense, giving him upside in any given week, it’s hard to trust him against a tough Baltimore defense heading into Week 2. The Ravens allowed the least yards per game of any team last year, and only the Bears allowed fewer points. Plus, Baltimore made the Dolphins look silly in Week 1. Kirk should be on your roster, but owners should look elsewhere for this matchup.

Fantasy Upside
As CBSSports.com recently suggested, given Larry Fitzgerald's age (36 in August), there's an excellent chance Christian Kirk becomes the No. 1 receiver for the Cardinals in 2019. The versatile Kirk is an inside or outside receiver who produces yards after the catch, has great speed, boasts solid route-running skills and displays good hands. He proved to be dynamic (and productive) in his rookie campaign. This year, there's a new offense, run by a new offensive-minded head coach (Kliff Kingsbury) with a new QB (Kyler Murray). On the whole, this should be a much-improved offense that will be forced to throw the ball a lot because of game scripts. Indeed, that's probably the way Kingsbury wants to run his offense anyway. As Fansided.com's Avery Duncan put it, "[Kingsbury's] offense is about as aggressive as a ten-year-old playing 'Madden.'" Sounds like something fantasy owners can get behind.

Fantasy Downside
The Cardinals went all in at wide receiver, adding multiple players at the position in the draft and through free agency (including former Bears first-round pick Kevin White). It seems unlikely any of the newcomers will keep Kirk off the field, but there are going to be a lot of mouths to feed in this offense.

2019 Bottom Line
Murray is well-known for his time and success at Oklahoma, but the QB spent his freshman year at Texas A&M. Though he played just one season for the Aggies, Kirk and Murray were freshmen teammates, and Murray threw his first college touchdown pass to the now-Cardinal receiver. So, yes, Fitzgerald is still there, and the team added Andy Isabella and Hakeem Butler in April's draft (and of course David Johnson will chip in, too), but Kirk could return great value if drafted in his current range (just outside WR3 territory).

Week 12 at Los Angeles Chargers

Christian Kirk only caught three passes last week against the Raiders, but gained 77 yards and scored a touchdown in a bounce-back game against a vulnerable opponent. Kirk is far from a sure thing, but he’s a playmaker who has scored three touchdowns in his last six games and has built a nice rapport with rookie quarterback Josh Rosen.

This week, Kirk plays a Chargers a defense that has allowed the eighth-least fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers this year, making it tough for Kirk to repeat his performance form last week. In a tough matchup on a struggling offense, fantasy owners shouldn’t have Kirk active, and he remains a long-term keeper or dynasty player for the time being.