Over the next 40 days (May 1st to June 10th), I will break down 40 of the NFL’s “Sophomores”. By sophomores, I mean players in their 2nd year of the NFL. The 2019 Draft class was quite special and has shown some early promise. I want to reflect on each player’s rookie year, take a look forward, and finally evaluate their dynasty and redraft value going into the 2020 NFL Season. I hope you enjoy this 40-day adventure as I dive into the emerging stars the NFL has to offer. First, on our list : Kyler Murray.

Sophomore SZN : Kyler Murray / Daniel Jones / T.J. Hockenson / Dwayne Haskins / Noah Fant / Josh Jacobs / Marquise Brown / N’Keal Harry

Rookie Year

Kyler Murray was selected with the 1st pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. After the hiring of new head coach Kliff Kingsbury, the Cardinals needed a QB to fit his offense. Kingsbury was committed to Josh Rosen to being the future of his team, but sitting here a year later, we know that is not the case. Kyler had a weird start to his NFL career by tying with the Detroit Lions in week one. Murray threw for 308 yards and 2 scores and also added 13 yards on the ground.

Murray played behind a very poor offensive line in his rookie campaign. Kyler got sacked 48 times. As a rookie QB, every game is a learning experience, but it is even harder to learn when you have little time to read the field. Murray’s favorite pass catcher was 36-year-old Larry Fitzgerald. Kyler won Rookie of the Year and finished with 3,722 yards passing and 20 touchdowns.

Looking Forward

Nothing against Fitzgerald but Murray needed a better pass-catcher to allow him to take the next step in 2020. Well, that is exactly what they did. When rumors buzzed-about DeAndre Hopkins wanting out of Houston, it didn’t take long for the Cardinals to give Bill O’Brien a call. The Cardinals committed highway robbery when they traded for Hopkins and sent out aging pieces like David Johnson. The Cards had no plans for Johnson in 2020, and due to his large contract, it was going to be hard to get rid of him. However, Bill O’Brien has a mind of his own and agreed to the trade.

Adding Hopkins to the receiving corps was a great move on all levels. I do think this will help Murray take the next step. Under Kingsbury’s air-raid offense, it will be interesting to see the stats that Murray can put up. Kyler didn’t use his legs much in 2019 but I would expect to see him run more in 2020. The Cardinals will still have holes across their offensive line so that is a concern for me. Murray will have to be creative out of the pocket to find success.

Dynasty Value

After the trade of Nuk to Arizona, Murray replaced Watson as my number three Dynasty QB. Entering only his second year in the NFL, Murray has a lot of his career ahead of him. If Murray can turn it on in both the passing and rushing game, he can be as elite as Lamar Jackson. Adding a top five fantasy WR like Hopkins only adds to Murray’s value. If you are drafting in a start-up, Murray is one of my favorite early QB options. If Kliff starts to get his offense rolling, they will be difficult to stop. Plus, Arizona’s defense will continue to stink so the offense will have to put up more points to have any shot at winning.

Redraft Value

Murray will be able to provide to your fantasy team in 2020. His current draft position is around the fifth to the seventh round. With an array of pass-catchers and Kenyan Drake in the running game, the Cardinals offense should be very productive. Murray at the helm will be in charge. My current projection for him is: 4,350 passing yards, 26 TD, and will also add around 625 yards rushing with 5 scores. At his current ADP, this is a steal. It will be interesting to see if his draft position will rise as we get closer to the season. If he is moving up closer to the fourth round, I would rather find a QB later in the draft.

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