The Seahawks handed the Cardinals their 4th loss of the season after Russell Wilson led the team to their 6th victory of the year in a crucial divisional game Thursday night. The score of 34-22 looks great on the surface, but lets analyze some of the bigger news in regards to fantasy football.
Russell Wilson Has Big Night, But He's Still Not A QB1
Wilson committed 3 fumbles, losing 2 against the Arizona Defense. Those kinds of mistakes are hard for an owner in leagues that give more negative points for turnovers than usual. However, Wilson's 3 touchdown passes more than made up for the costly losses. Is Wilson now an every-week QB1? My answer is still no, unless the right matchups are there. Considering he just came off a Week 6 stint against the Titans with no scores, it's hard to trust Wilson due to his inconsistent play. He will continue to have some sort of value because he can rip off big runs, but he only has 3 games of double-digit scores through the first 7 weeks of the season. Hardly someone I'd consider as a starter over, say, Eli Manning.
The Cardinals Offense Is No Better Than Last Year
When the Cardinals brought in Carson Palmer, I had the inkling the Arizona offense would be a lot better than they were in 2012. They had to be. Palmer wasn't flat out great in Oakland, but he was considered by many as an upgrade over the quarterback situation the Cardinals had to deal with last season. So far, Palmer's play has been anything but spectacular. While a lot of it rests on Palmer, the offensive line continues to be one of the team's biggest weakness. Combine that with a quarterback who is making horrendous decisions and moves around like the second coming of Drew Bledsoe, it shouldn't be a surprise that Palmer has a horrid 8:13 TD:INT ratio. Palmer isn't the answer, but one has to wonder how long it will take the coaching staff to realize that. The running game has shown some glimpses of hope, but it clearly isn't with Rashard Mendenhall. Him reuniting with Bruce Arians is clearly not working out as hoped. And while Andre Ellington has shown tremendous promise the last couple weeks, he was no better against a stingier Seahawks Defense. As usual, all this trickles down to Larry Fitzgerald. One of the top receivers in all of fantasy football just 2 years ago, Fitz has slid to WR3/Flex status due to his surroundings.
Is Percy Harvin On Your Waiver Wire? Grab Him.......NOW!
One last note that doesn't have anything to do with last night's game, but a lot to do with fantasy owners. Percy Harvin has sat out the season so far as he rehabs from hip surgery. However, there are reports coming out that he could be ready, or at least has a chance to be ready, for Week 8's game against the Rams. While much of this is premature speculation, owners can't sit around and wait on Harvin to be there on the waiver wire over the next 2 weeks. The Seahawks have been able to get by without Harvin so far, but they also want to get him on the field as quickly as possible after forking over a first rounder to the Vikings. Wilson isn't a QB1, but Harvin's presence could change that notion if the 2 can develop quick chemistry. If Harvin is on your wire, don't wait until it's too late.