What if I told you DeAndre Hopkins wasn’t the Cardinals’ leader in targets, receptions, or receiving yards? Don’t worry, I’ll wait. I’m sure a ton of you just scrambled madly to Google to vet what I just said.
According to Pro Football Reference:
Rondale Moore: 13 targets, 11 receptions, 182 yards, 1 TD.
DeAndre Hopkins: 12 targets, 10 receptions, 137 yards, 3 TDs
We all saw that bomb from Kyler Murray to Moore that resulted in a 77-yard explosion of fantasy goodness. Problem is, hardly anybody rostered Moore, nonetheless played him. In fact, before the ensuing waiver frenzy to grab Moore, he was only rostered in an estimated 33% of leagues.
A perfectly good, demoralizing pig roast can crush your fantasy opponent’s heart.
After catching four of five targets in Week 1 on only 29% of the team’s snaps, Moore should have already been stashed on some team’s benches.
Now that Moore saw eight targets on only 46% of the team’s snaps, it’s clear that Moore has a growing role in a true fantasy football factory. Even if his snap totals don’t increase drastically as they should, Moore’s human joy-stick talent should see him funneled opportunities when he’s on the field.
Rondale Moore is averaging 14.3 yards AFTER catch per reception this season
4.8 yards more than any other NFL player pic.twitter.com/rjyAPw9Djz
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 20, 2021
Moore and Kyle Pitts were the two athletic unicorns of this Uber-talented pass-catcher draft class. Moore’s deep receiving ability was rarely showcased at Purdue behind anemic quarterback play. Still, as a freshman, his dynamic playmaking was on full display.
Despite being shorter than Murray, Moore’s 4.32 Pro-Day 40-yard dash and elite burst/agility scores (96th and 94th percentile respectively) make him a fantasy weapon waiting to be unlocked. Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray have clearly made the key.
“You see the dynamic; the stuff he can do in space,” Kingsbury said. “When he gets the ball that first guy rarely tackles him. He’s got legit 4.29 speed and he’s starting to build more confidence.”
Moore should be the waiver wire darling of 2021 and fantasy players should fight tooth and nail for him on the Week 3 Fantasy Waiver Wire.
The rookie lands at WR45 on The Wolf’s Rest of Season Fantasy Rankings & Big Board.
