Arizona threw the ball 37 times in the opener and Marvin Harrison Jr. saw three of those looks. He caught one, it went for 33 yards, and he finished fifth on the team in targets behind a tight end, two other receivers and a running back. The Cardinals now host Seattle, a defense that just forced three interceptions and held Drake Maye to a 54.9 passer rating. Find out whether you should start or sit Marvin Harrison Jr. in Week 2.
Marvin Harrison Jr. Start or Sit Advice for Week 2
The pecking order is the problem, and Week 1 confirmed the fear rather than easing it. Harrison drew an 8.1 percent target share while Trey McBride absorbed 13 targets and a 35.1 percent share, Kendrick Bourne caught all eight of his and Michael Wilson took seven. Arizona also funneled seven red zone targets through the offense, four of them to McBride, and none to Harrison. That is a crowded room feeding three other names first, and it is precisely the scenario his outlook warned about heading into the year.
There is a small amount of encouragement buried in the line. Harrison’s one catch traveled for 33 yards, and 28 of those came through the air, so when Jacoby Brissett did look his way it was on a meaningful downfield throw. Arizona’s passing game also functioned well overall, with Brissett completing 27 of 37 for 277 yards and a 103.1 passer rating without an interception. A quarterback playing that cleanly in a healthy attack gives Harrison a path back to relevance if the distribution ever shifts.
Seattle is not the week for that shift to happen. The Seahawks intercepted three Patriots’ passes in their opener, held their opponent to 168 passing yards on 33 attempts, allowed only 67 air yards and recorded three sacks. Suppressing air yards that severely is the specific way to neutralize an outside receiver who wins on vertical routes, and Harrison was already only getting those throws occasionally. Arizona converted just two of five red zone trips too, so the scoring opportunities are neither plentiful nor pointed his direction.
The Biggest Fantasy Risk for Marvin Harrison Jr. in Week 2
His involvement is not guaranteed at all. One catch on three targets for 4.3 PPR points is the kind of afternoon that can repeat itself several times in a row, and Harrison has dealt with concentration lapses that make each look less certain to convert. He caught one of three in Week 1. Bourne going 8-for-8 is also the sort of performance that earns a player more work rather than less, and Wilson entered the week ranked well ahead of Harrison in our Week 2 receiver rankings. Seattle allowing 111 yards after the catch on 178 receiving yards tells you where the production it does surrender comes from, and short-area work is not how Harrison generates value.
Fantasy Outlook for Marvin Harrison Jr. in Week 2
Harrison is a Sit in Week 2. The size and route running that made him a premium prospect are still real, and a Cardinals passing game averaging 277 yards with clean quarterback play could eventually support him, so this is not a player to move on from. But three targets against a Seattle defense that just picked off three passes and held an opponent to 67 air yards is not a lineup decision worth making. Wait for evidence that Brissett is looking his way before you trust him again.