Arizona Cardinals Star is Boom-or-Bust Fantasy Player

The Arizona Cardinals are banking on an exceptional year from Marvin Harrison Jr. in 2025, and they're not the only ones.

If you're looking for fantasy football value, Harrison may be a sneaky choice to grab at a draft position below what he may be able to produce in volume.

Then again, many expected greatness from Harrison in 2024. and his overall numbers did not live up to the "generational" tag placed on him.

By all accounts, Harrison did have a solid rookie season. 885 yards and eight scores is nothing to scoff at.

But can Harrison take that jump and be not only the WR1 Arizona needs, but a volume-producing fantasy football pick as well?

One national outlet labels Harrison as "boom-or-bust"

Arizona Cardinals Star WR is Boom-Or-Bust pick

"Entering the NFL, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. was widely regarded as a can’t-miss superstar in the making. The former Ohio State star was regarded by some as the top overall prospect in the 2024 draft," writes Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport.

"However, as Dalton Del Don pointed out at Yahoo, Harrison was major disappointment after coming off fantasy draft boards in the middle of Round 2, finishing outside the top-40 among wide receivers in PPR points per game."

“Harrison undoubtedly deserves some of the blame, as he might’ve been the worst receiver in the league when it came to contested catches. He also forced just one missed tackle during 62 receptions. His rookie season certainly wasn't bad, but Harrison unquestionably failed to live up to his lofty expectations.

"However, usage and Kyler Murray were also to blame. Harrison ranked sixth in air yards but just 37th in target share (22.2%). He ranked 58th in yards per route run among wideouts, although that came while ranking 64th in catchable target rate. "

"Despite being among the leaders in end-zone targets, Harrison was still just the WR32 in expected fantasy points per game. Murray delivered just a 51% catchable ball rate on throws 20+ air yards without pressure, which ranked 24th out of 33 qualified QBs (although the good news is Murray targeted Harrison on a whopping 45.9% of those attempts).”

"Harrison and Murray spent time together working on their chemistry in the offseason. And Harrison’s talent isn’t in question—he didn’t forget how to play football when he entered the NFL.

"It could be that Harrison’s star turn was just delayed by a year. But considering what happened in 2024, it’s far from guaranteed."

Arizona needs to get better at getting Harrison the ball and playing to his strengths. Harrison needs to get better at taking advantage of the opportunities given to him.

Both are likely to happen in 2025.

Don't be afraid to snag Harrison in your fantasy leagues — the Cardinals' passing attack will likely live or die by his usage in the coming season.

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