Rondale Moore’s Stock is Rising in the Cardinals Offense

Rondale Moore keeps popping up on the newswire and fantasy waiver wire recommendations. The Cardinals rookie wide receiver has put together a solid 2021 season so far alongside Christian Kirk, A.J. Green, and DeAndre Hopkins. Plus, running back Chase Edmonds should be added to the conversation; as he's tied for second on the team in targets with Green. 

It is clear that Moore has already carved out a significant role in this offense with 24 targets in five games; one more than Kirk and two less than Green and Edmonds. After last week’s performance against the 49ers, he might be in line for additional work. 

In Week 5, Moore stepped up to snag five catches on six targets along with three rushes for 38 yards. Despite netting a pedestrian 59 yards on those five catches, Moore has become more and more involved in the offense each week. 33 of those passing yards came off one play and left him with an average yards-per-catch (YPC) of 11.8. Moore also broke one run for 26 yards, bringing his average on the ground to 12.7 YPC. 

If there is one thing that football teams love it is players that can fill two or more roles. In the first five weeks of the season, it has become clear that Moore fits the bill for this type of player with his role growing in both the running and passing game.

Rondale Moore is being asked to do more on one of the best offenses in the NFL

Another big plus for the rookie is that he is on an unbeaten team with an explosive offense. Kirk has his lowest snap count of the season while Moore saw 48% of them. He was the second-most targeted player on the team and has gained the trust of MVP co-favorite QB Kyler Murray in short order. 

I think of of the biggest reasons that Moore and Murray have developed such a rapport is Moore’s lack of dropped passes. A player can see 20 targets in a game, but if he has butterfingers or alligator arms too many, it really doesn’t matter. Moore, however, has failed to catch just 2 of the 24 balls thrown his way this year. Those two drops give Moore a catch rate of 87.5% which puts him 4rd in the NFL for wide receivers. The only WRs who have a better number are James Proche II (88.9), Donavan Peoples-Jones (90.0), and Christian Kirk (91.3%).

It's worth noting that Edmunds technically ranks higher with a catch rate of 88.5% but we’re just looking at true receivers here. This is especially true if you are considering snatching Moore off the waiver wire for your fantasy team. 

The Cardinals head to Cleveland this weekend to face off as 2.5-point underdogs against the Browns team who rank 11th in passing defense. The Browns allow a respectable 223 yards per game in the air but coughed up 381 in Week 5 against the Chargers. The secondary might have a hard time bouncing back from that trouncing with the Cardinals fielding an exceptional offense similar to the Chargers. I like Moore’s chances to shine in this game and carve out an even bigger role for himself in Arizona.

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