Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints Matchup Preview 10/27/19: Analysis, Depth Charts, Daily Fantasy

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The Cardinals are heading to New Orleans to take on the Saints this Sunday. The Saints were counted out by many people after Drew Brees suffered a thumb injury in week 2. However, since Teddy Bridgewater took over in his place, the Saints have gone 5-0 and have been looking like a pretty unstoppable team. Their defense has been incredibly strong, and their production on offense has been nearly the same as it was under Brees. The Cardinals, on the other hand, haven’t been as consistent. Their offensive line was struggling in the beginning of the year, allowing 20 sacks in 4 weeks. Since then, they’ve allowed only 3 sacks. However, their defense still struggles and their offense needs to figure more out before they’re as powerful as they have the potential to be. The Saints are favorites in this matchup, as I’m expecting their defense to hold the Cardinals while the offense carves up the Cardinals secondary. Click here for more matchup details and betting information on the Cardinals @ Saints matchup on Sunday.

TV Schedule

Date: Sunday, October 27th, 2019
Time: 10:00 AM PST
Location: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Coverage: CBS

Injury Report:

Cardinals: David Johnson (Q), Haason Reddick (Q), Dennis Gardeck (Q), Jordan Hicks( Q), Maxx Williams (Q), Christian Kirk (Q), Zach Allen (Q), Zeke Turner (Q), D.J. Foster (Q)
Saints: J.T. Gray (Q), Eli Apple (Q), Drew Brees (Q), Tre’Quan Smith (Q), Jared Cook (Q), Alvin Kamara (Q), Patrick Robinson (Q)

Arizona Cardinals Analysis

The Cardinals have been on a winning streak and looking good these past 3 weeks. As I said before, the Cardinals have greatly improved their offensive line. In weeks 1-4, they allowed 20 sacks. This was incredibly tough on Kyler Murray, who, especially as a rookie, needed time in the pocket to be able to make throws. However, in the past 3 weeks, they’ve only allowed 3 sacks total. Before hopping on the hype train, it’s important to look at who they’ve played in the past 3 weeks. They’ve gotten these wins against the Bengals, the Giants, and the Falcons. These teams are ranked 1st, 5th, and 6th in the league respectively for most yards allowed on average. The Cardinals proved their offense can be explosive, but whether they’ll be able to do it against the Saints, who haven’t allowed more than 257 yards in 4 straight games, is another story. Chase Edmonds showed up in a big way against the Giants last week, running 126 yards and scoring 3 touchdowns on 27 carries. However, the Giants have been weak against the run this season. The Saints, on the other hand, haven’t allowed a 100 yard rusher in 29 games.

In total yards allowed, the Cardinals fall at 4th most in the league. They’ve won their past three games mainly by outscoring their opponents, which is an effective tactic against an offense like the Bengals or the Giants, who have been shaky this year. But that isn’t going to work against this Saints offense. The Cardinals defense is going to need to step up in a big way this Sunday if they’re going to have a chance. Therefore, the Saints are heavy favorites in this matchup, as I don’t believe the Cardinals will be able to stop the Saints Sunday.

Arizona Cardinals Depth Chart

QB: Kyler Murray
RB1: David Johnson
RB2: Chase Edmonds
WR1: Larry Fitzgerald
WR2: Christian Kirk
WR3: KeeSean Johnson
TE: Charles Clay

New Orleans Saints Analysis

The Saints have looked pretty fantastic this year. Last week, they put up 36 points against a vaunted Bears defense. What’s even more impressive is that they were able to run a total of 151 yards against the Bears rushing defense, one of the better ones in the league, without Alvin Kamara. A huge shout-out to Saints RT Ryan Ramczyk, who shut down Khalil Mack on Sunday. Ramczyk is credited for winning all 19 of his matchups with Mack, an incredible feat, and a huge reason for their victory. Despite losing Drew Brees to a thumb injury, their offense has stayed looking almost just as powerful as it was with Brees in it. Michael Thomas had 131 yards on 9 receptions last week, and I’m expecting him to have another big game this week. The Cardinals defense allows 263.3 passing yards and 129.1 rushing yards on average. The Saints, on average, throw for 245 yards and run for 111 yards. I’m expecting them to put up some really big numbers on Sunday, and outscore the Cardinals by a lot.

The Saints defense has also been a powerhouse. They haven’t allowed over 257 yards in their last 4 games. They also haven’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in their last twenty-nine games. This stat looks especially good against the Cardinals, who have been relying pretty heavily on their rushing game to win, especially against the Bengals and the Giants. If the Saints can shut down the run like they’ve been so effective at doing, they’ll be in a great position to get the win over the Cardinals. Therefore, the Saints are the heavy favorites. While nothing is guaranteed in the NFL, with the way the Saints have been playing this season I don’t see them losing on Sunday.

New Orleans Saints Depth Chart

QB: Teddy Bridgwater
RB1: Alvin Kamara
RB2: Latavius Murray
WR1: Michael Thomas
WR2: Ted Ginn
WR3: Austin Carr
TE: Jared Cook

Daily Fantasy

I don’t know if starting any Cardinals players is a good idea this week. I’m expecting them to be shut down. If you were going to, maybe a receiver like Fitzgerald would be a good call, as he gets a fair amount of targets and has been productive for them. The Saints are where you’re going to be getting the majority of your fantasy points this matchup. There’s a small chance Latavius Murray is available in your league, and if so you should definitely pick him up. If Kamara isn’t back, Murray is going to be running the ball and based on his numbers last Sunday, he’s going to be great for your team. Other than that, starting a Saints receiver isn’t a bad idea. If you have Thomas he’s an obvious start. Jared Cook would be another good start if you’re looking for a good option for tight end.