Carson Palmer; Fantasy’s Secret Weapon

Aug 24, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) calls a play against the Cincinnati Bengals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Here are the three reasons why Carson Palmer will have the big year Brandt predicted:

2nd Season

Bruce Arians offensive scheme is no longer new and as Palmer showed at the tail end of last season that he was getting it. The Cardinals became one of the hottest teams in the league behind Palmer’s play and leadership. This time around, Palmer will be more comfortable with the scheme from the first game. Anyone who knows Coach Bruce Arians, knows that he has no problem airing it out which can lead to big Fantasy points.

Running Back Resolved

Last season especially early in the year Rashard Mendenhall was the starting RB. Mendenhall wasn’t a very explosive threat out of the backfield that you would like and struggled.  The emergence of Andre Ellington provided a much-needed punch in the back field. We wrote about the emergence of Ellington here. Opposing defenses will have to respect the run if they are unable to drop back into deep zone coverage. If they do, Ellington will burn them for big plays. With teams being forced to run more man to man coverage, that will open up space for the Arizona Cardinals receivers.