Week 4 at Carolina Panthers
DeAndre Hopkins has been everything the Cardinals were hoping he’d be when they traded for him over the offseason. He has 356 yards and a touchdown and leads the league in receptions, targets – tied with Keenan Allen – and receiving yards. Hopkins quickly earned the trust of quarterback Kyler Murray, and is the top target in a pass-happy offense.
This week, Hopkins faces a Panthers defense that ranks 18th in aFPA to opposing wide receivers and just allowed 13 catches, 132 yards and a touchdown to Allen last week against the Chargers. Matching those totals is easily in play for Hopkins, who is a must-start every week and is ranked as an elite fantasy receiver. Start him. Always.
Week 3 vs. Detroit Lions
DeAndre Hopkins has been everything the Cardinals hoped he would be through two weeks. He leads the league in targets and receptions and is fifth in receiving yards. He and Kyler Murray seem to already have an excellent rapport, and this should be a lucrative fantasy pairing all season – and for many seasons to come.
This week, Hopkins faces a Lions defense that has allowed five passing touchdowns through two games and is dealing with injuries in the secondary. Hopkins is a must-start every week, but especially so in a fantastic matchup. Expect another day of significant targets and another WR1 performance.
Week 2 vs. Washington Football Team
DeAndre Hopkins didn’t find the end zone in his Cardinals’ debut last week, but he was dominant in every other aspect. He caught 14 of the 16 balls thrown his way for 151 yards. 16 targets is a lot to expect on a weekly basis, but it’s clear the team recognizes the talent of their new superstar receiver and will make it a priority to get him the ball. With quarterback Kyler Murray continuing to develop in a pass-happy offense, the sky is the limit for Hopkins.
This week, Hopkins faces a defense that held Philadelphia wide receivers without a touchdown in Week 1, but no one on the Eagles is as good as Hopkins. Probably not even as good as Christian Kirk at this point. Regardless of matchup, Hopkins is a must-start as the key target in a prolific offense. Start him. Always.
Week 1 at San Francisco 49ers
DeAndre Hopkins was surprisingly traded in the offseason, but he landed in a nice situation with an emerging young quarterback and a pass-happy coach. Hopkins is no stranger to changing quarterbacks, as he’s produced with a myriad of different players behind center in Houston, especially prior to Deshaun Watson arriving in 2017. Hopkins just signed a huge contract extension, so there’s no risk of Arizona not valuing him as the primary target in the offense.
He has a tough start to the season against a 49ers defense that ranked eighth last year in aFPA to opposing wide receivers. Still, he’s too good to ever sit, regardless of matchup. He’s a legit contender to lead the league in targets, which should create a nice fantasy floor each week for him. Start him in all league formats every week.
Fantasy Upside
DeAndre Hopkins has no doubt where he ranks among the best receivers in the game -- he says he's the top pass catcher in football, and that his numbers would dwarf those of other star receivers if he had played his entire career with an elite quarterback. "I definitely think I'm the best," Hopkins said. "I know I'm the best." Hopkins has never led the league in catches or yards, but he said that's a reflection of the offenses he has played in. Hopkins said he would have better numbers than the Saints' Michael Thomas or Atlanta's Julio Jones if he had their quarterbacks. Now after being traded to the Cardinals (for David Johnson and a pair of draft picks), Hopkins joins Larry Fitzgerald and rising wideout Christian Kirk in Kliff Kingsbury's fast-paced offense alongside second-year triggerman Kyler Murray. In seven seasons in Houston, Hopkins compiled 8,602 receiving yards, including five years over the 1,100-yard receiving mark.
Fantasy Downside
The lack of offseason work with Murray and playing in a new scheme without much on-field learning have to be concerns.
Fantasy Downside
Hopkins, one of the top wide receivers in most 2019 fantasy drafts, produced a combined 10 top-20 performances and ranked in a tie for the second-most 20-plus point games at the position. Hopkins also finished second in terms of top-5 finishes with four. Only Thomas (nine) had more. Still, given the change of scenery, it's hard to keep Hopkins at the top of the WR rankings. Consider him more a top-10 than a top-five option.
Week 17 vs. Tennessee Titans
Deshaun Watson threw for fewer than 200 yards at Tampa last Saturday, so none of the Houston WRs had good outings. On a team-high nine targets, DeAndre Hopkins recorded five receptions but for a season-low 23 yards. He has eclipsed 100 catches for the third time in his career and posted six grabs for 119 yards in the win at Tennessee two weeks ago. There’s no doubt Hopkins remains a WR1 play.
Week 16 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
With Deshaun Watson throwing for 243 yards last week against the Titans, DeAndre Hopkins finished with nearly half of that total, snagging six balls for 119 yards. While it was Kenny Stills who caught both of Watson’s TD tosses, Hopkins has been over the century mark in two straight and five times on the season. He has a great matchup on Saturday versus the Buccaneers third-worst pass defense.
Week 15 at Tennessee Titans
After Houston fell behind big to the Broncos last week, Deshaun Watson ended up throwing 50 passes. DeAndre Hopkins was the beneficiary of 13 targets leading to seven receptions for a season-most 120 yards and his seventh TD of ’19. Hopkins was also credited with a 12-yard rush. He is now over 1,000 yards on the year, averaging seven grabs per contest. Against a poor Tennessee pass defense, Hopkins is again a top WR play.
Week 14 vs. Denver Broncos
Versus the Patriots last Sunday night, DeAndre Hopkins threw his first NFL touchdown pass on an option play to QB Deshaun Watson. Hopkins finished with five catches for 64 yards but no TDs, despite Watson tossing three in the win. The five receptions tied a season low and he’s failed to reach the century mark in four straight contests. Despite the recent slump, Hopkins remains a WR1 play, even facing the league’s fifth-best pass defense.
Week 13 vs. New England Patriots
After scoring only two times in the previous nine contests, DeAndre Hopkins scored twice in the win over the Colts last Thursday. He finished with six grabs for 94 yards, the fourth time in the past five outings he’s posted at least 80 yards. Now that Will Fuller is healthy, defenses will have another weapon to worry about, which helps Hopkins’s game. The Patriots have the second-best defense against the pass, but the Houston WR is always a must-start.
