The Arizona Cardinals will try to win their third-straight game and inch one step closer towards a playoff berth when they face the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday afternoon.
The Cardinals (8-6) are coming into this Week 16 contest off of a hard-fought 33-27 win over the Philadelphia Eagles at home. Arizona received outstanding performances from both Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins, which is great news for the final two weeks of the season. Murray was 27-of-36 for 406 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. He also had 29 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. Meanwhile, Hopkins had nine receptions (11 targets) for 169 yards and a touchdown.
The 49ers (5-9) have lost three games in a row, with their latest defeat happening on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. In the 41-33 loss, starting quarterback Nick Mullens was 21-of-36 for 219 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. One of his touchdown passes went to rookie wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who had nine receptions (13 targets) for 73. Lastly, the running back combo of Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. had two rushing touchdowns.
TV Info
Date: Saturday, Dec. 26
Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Channel: Amazon
Broadcast map
Notable Statistical rankings (Football Outsiders)
49ers:
Cardinals:
DraftKings Sportsbook odds
Fantasy football start/sit advice
49ers
Brandon Aiyuk, WR, $
The rookie wide receiver out of Arizona State has been the ultimate playmaker within San Fran’s offense this season. In the Niners’ last five games. Aiyuk has 39 receptions (62 targets) for 453 yards and four touchdowns. Also, during that time, he’s scored 13.7 fantasy points per game, which would be great numbers for a WR2. This weekend, Aiyuk will be going up against a Cardinals’ defense that gave up three passing touchdowns to the Eagles’ wide receivers and 23.8 fantasy points per game to opposing wideouts.
Raheem Mostert, RB, $
If Nick Mullens is under center for Saturday afternoon’s game, we should likely expect a ton of running between Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. Unlike Wilson, whose production and value hinges on red zone touches, Mostert can make some noise anywhere on the field. Last week against the Cowboys, he had 68 carries on 14 carries for 6.8 fantasy points. He exited the game with an ankle injury, which makes his status unclear for Saturday. If he plays, then start him. If he doesn’t pivot to Wilson Jr. as a possible flex play.
Cardinals
Kyler Murray, QB, $
QB1 Kyler Murray put on a show last week against the Philadelphia Eagles. He scored four total touchdowns (three passing) and 33.14 fantasy points. It was the perfect performance that fantasy football managers needed to see. This week, he’s faces a Niners’ defense that isn’t as good as when he first played them in Week 1. Murray posted 26.3 fantasy points to open up the season and should be able to do that again.
DeAndre Hopkins, POS, $
DeAndre Hopkins along with Stefon Diggs have been two of the best offseason acquisitions for their respective teams. Hopkins posted a season-high 34 fantasy points against a battered Eagles’s secondary that was missing Darius Slay, Avonte Maddox, and Rodney McLeod. This weekend, he’ll be going against a Niners’ secondary that is better than the Eagles but can be taking advantage of. In their last three games, San Fran has given up four touchdowns.