Arizona addressed their gaping hole by trading for Kevin Kolb in the offseason. Can he perform to the levels that had fantasy owners making him the 9th QB taken before the 2010 season?  Will the lockout affect how quickly he can learn the offense and his teammates?  Can he revive the once feared offense, and what should we expect from the rest of the guys?

Quarterback: Kevin Kolb ($6) – Kolb was one of the bigger disappointments last year for fantasy owners, but while injuries are partially to blame, it didn't help that his replacement was a former #1 pick who played better than he ever had before. While injuries are unpredictable, Kolb definitely won't have to worry about the people of Phoenix clamoring for Max Hall or John Skelton. I expect Kolb to have a good season, but I would not want him to be my QB1.  I think he falls in the 13-16 range, but of that group he may have the most upside. I think the upside alone makes Kolb a good late round get.

Running Back: Beanie Wells ($12)– When I first wrote this piece I had Beanie and rookie Ryan Williams both valued at $7, and I wrote that I preferred to own Williams if I had to choose.  Of course that was before Friday’s preseason game where we saw Williams leave the game with what looks to be a serious knee injury.  With Williams likely out for the season and Tim Hightower out of town, it looks like Wells will see the lion’s share of the carries.  Any back who figures to get most of his teams carries, while also being the goal-line back should be a boon for fantasy owners.  Below is what I wrote about Williams pre-injury:

 Running Back: Ryan Williams ($7)– If I had to choose an Arizona running back to roster this upcoming season, it would be Williams.  Beanie should get most of the carries early in the season, but I think Williams is much better suited for Arizona's style of play.  He's quicker and can contribute in the passing game, which are both necessary attributes when a team has offensive line troubles like Arizona does.  I realize that most rookie running backs don't contribute much, but I would not be surprised to see Williams get the bulk of the carries by the midway point.


Wide Receiver: Larry Fitzgerald ($31) – Fitzgerald is undoubtedly one of the premier talents currently playing wideout in the NFL.  He's been able to produce for his fantasy owners despite 11 guys on the other side of the ball knowing that he's their biggest threat.  Last year he once again gained more than 1,000 yards, but his 6 touchdowns were a disappointment.  I expect him to be back in double digits this year as the improvement from Anderson to Kolb is a big one.  The only thing keeping Fitz out of my top 5 WR's is the uncertainty surrounding Arizona's offense as a whole, but him ending the season in the top 5 wouldn't surprise me at all.

Wide Receiver: Early Doucet ($1) – While completely unproven, it seems that Doucet should be comfortably starting opposite of Fitzgerald for the majority of the year.  While I would not invest in Doucet, anytime you can get a regular wideout who should almost always be facing single coverage due to the quality of his counterpart, it's hard not to see some value there.

Tight End: Todd Heap ($0) – Heap is no longer the upper tier fantasy option he once was.  The Cardinals haven't used the tight end much in recent seasons, but Kolb may look for his safety valve often as he gets acclimated to his new team.  I still wouldn't value Heap for much other than an emergency backup or bye week fill in.

Kicker: Jay Feely ($0) – Feely isn't part of the premier kicker group going into this season, so I would not advocate investing anything at all in him.  If you find yourself needing a kicker and there are no premier guys left on the board, Feely could be one to consider as he's been doing it for a long time and weather won't be a factor in his home games.

D/ST ($0) – While Arizona finished a respectable 9th in points last season, I would not expect anything close to the same return considering they gave up the 29th most yards per game and the 30th most points per game.  

Written by Ilyn Yeh exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com

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Tags: the Fantasy Fix, 2011 Fantasy Football, Auction Values, 2011 Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Tips, Draft Kit, Arizona Cardinals, Kevin Kolb, Larry Fitzgerald, Beanie Wells, Ryan Williams

(August 3, 2011 – Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images North America)