Overall Ranking
| 32 | '08 | '07 | '06 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Games | 16 | 15 | 13 |
| Targets | -- | -- | -- |
| Receptions | 96 | 100 | 69 |
| Receiving Yards | 1431 | 1409 | 946 |
| 100 Yard Games | 7 | 4 | 2 |
| Total TDs | 12 | 10 | 6 |
Season Schedule
-
Week 1 - Sep 07
ARI 23 @ SF 13
3 receptions
31 rec yards
1 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 2 - Sep 14
MIA 10 @ ARI 31
6 receptions
153 rec yards
0 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 3 - Sep 21
ARI 17 @ WAS 24
7 receptions
109 rec yards
1 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 4 - Sep 28
ARI 35 @ NYJ 56
8 receptions
122 rec yards
0 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 5 - Oct 05
BUF 17 @ ARI 41
7 receptions
52 rec yards
2 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 6 - Oct 12
DAL 24 @ ARI 30
5 receptions
79 rec yards
1 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 8 - Oct 26
ARI 23 @ CAR 27
7 receptions
115 rec yards
0 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 9 - Nov 02
ARI 34 @ STL 13
6 receptions
81 rec yards
0 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 10 - Nov 10
SF 24 @ ARI 29
8 receptions
46 rec yards
1 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 11 - Nov 16
ARI 26 @ SEA 20
10 receptions
151 rec yards
0 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 12 - Nov 23
NYG 37 @ ARI 29
5 receptions
71 rec yards
0 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 14 - Dec 07
STL 10 @ ARI 34
6 receptions
73 rec yards
1 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 15 - Dec 14
MIN 35 @ ARI 14
5 receptions
52 rec yards
0 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 16 - Dec 21
ARI 7 @ NE 47
3 receptions
101 rec yards
1 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 17 - Dec 28
SEA 21 @ ARI 34
5 receptions
130 rec yards
2 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 1 - Sep 10
ARI 17 @ SF 20
3 receptions
20 rec yards
0 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 2 - Sep 16
SEA 20 @ ARI 23
7 receptions
87 rec yards
0 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 3 - Sep 23
ARI 23 @ BAL 26
5 receptions
85 rec yards
0 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 4 - Sep 30
PIT 14 @ ARI 21
10 receptions
120 rec yards
0 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 5 - Oct 07
ARI 34 @ STL 31
9 receptions
136 rec yards
1 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 6 - Oct 14
CAR 25 @ ARI 10
6 receptions
97 rec yards
0 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 7 - Oct 21
ARI 19 @ WAS 21
6 receptions
97 rec yards
0 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 9 - Nov 04
ARI 10 @ TB 17
4 receptions
95 rec yards
0 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 10 - Nov 11
DET 21 @ ARI 31
8 receptions
74 rec yards
2 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 11 - Nov 18
ARI 35 @ CIN 27
8 receptions
93 rec yards
1 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 12 - Nov 25
SF 37 @ ARI 31
9 receptions
156 rec yards
2 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 13 - Dec 02
CLE 21 @ ARI 27
0 receptions
0 rec yards
-
Week 14 - Dec 09
ARI 21 @ SEA 42
6 receptions
79 rec yards
1 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 15 - Dec 16
ARI 24 @ NO 31
2 receptions
27 rec yards
1 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 16 - Dec 23
ATL 27 @ ARI 30
6 receptions
72 rec yards
0 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 1 - Sep 10
SF 27 @ ARI 34
9 receptions
133 rec yards
0 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 2 - Sep 17
ARI 10 @ SEA 21
4 receptions
52 rec yards
0 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 3 - Sep 24
STL 16 @ ARI 14
6 receptions
65 rec yards
1 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 4 - Oct 01
ARI 10 @ ATL 32
4 receptions
71 rec yards
0 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 5 - Oct 08
KC 23 @ ARI 20
2 receptions
15 rec yards
1 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 6 - Oct 16
CHI 24 @ ARI 23
-
Week 7 - Oct 22
ARI 9 @ OAK 22
-
Week 8 - Oct 29
ARI 14 @ GB 31
-
Week 10 - Nov 12
DAL 27 @ ARI 10
6 receptions
80 rec yards
0 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 11 - Nov 19
DET 10 @ ARI 17
2 receptions
30 rec yards
0 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 12 - Nov 26
ARI 26 @ MIN 31
11 receptions
172 rec yards
0 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 13 - Dec 03
ARI 34 @ STL 20
5 receptions
46 rec yards
1 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 14 - Dec 10
SEA 21 @ ARI 27
7 receptions
79 rec yards
1 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 15 - Dec 17
DEN 37 @ ARI 20
5 receptions
77 rec yards
0 TDs
rush yards
TDs
-
Week 16 - Dec 24
ARI 26 @ SF 20
4 receptions
93 rec yards
1 TDs
rush yards
TDs
vitals
career stats
Larry Fitzgerald
Arizona Cardinals
The Force
Larry Fitzgerald is a mellow fellow... but he runs angry. He wants the football more than anyone on the field. He goes after it like it just insulted his lady-friend. He is one of the few WRs in the league that is able to walk the line of passionate and dominant 'baller while not managing to act like a complete douche bag to everyone in his path (an unfortunate trait that seems to permeate the position). Add to that a tireless work ethic, a powerful 6'3" frame, and sky-walker jumping ability, and you essentially have the perfect pass catching machine.
"When I run a route, and the ball's in the air, it's like everything slows down. I can't hear the crowd, I can't see the defender, but my main focus is on the ball. As soon as I catch it, everything speeds back up again" - Fitz
He's a serious load that catches everything thrown in his vicinity. Kurt Warner is able to throw the ball out of harm's way and have No. 11 track it down, Predator-style, to make some remarkable grabs. He has among the best hands in the NFL - only two dropped balls in 154 targets in '08. His 4.63 40 yard dash at the '04 NFL Combine officially ended any correlation between sub 4.4 40's and NFL success.
He is 25 years old, and in five seasons, has already amassed almost 6,000 yards and 46 touchdowns. Respect.
His uncanny ability to get to a floated ball at its highest point on a fade route makes him as much of a weapon from within the five yard stripe as any running back (or pass catcher) in the league. Whisenhunt continually prefers to call the "Chuck It Up To Larry" play when down near the goal line over handing it off to one of the average RBs at his disposal. His red zone thrown to-TD conversion rate is off the charts.
Larry Sunday
He stepped into the league in '04 and started producing immediately. In just his second year, he caught 103 balls for 1,409 yards and 10 touchdowns. While his "target" stats have leveled off over the last three seasons, his yards per catch have increased in each of those years. Larry is finding ways to become even more productive. He just finished the finest season of his career setting high marks in yards (1,431), yards per catch (14.9), and touchdowns (12).
It would be foolish to talk about how dominant Larry is without mentioning his pro-bowl counterpart, Anquan Boldin. The two joined forces five seasons ago and have been terrorizing defenses ever since.
Post-Larry
His four game stretch this past post-season was the most impressive run of big-time performances we've seen since Montana to Rice back when Milli was giving Vanilli nightly reach-arounds.
Fitz shattered the single-season playoff records for catches (30), yards (546), and touchdowns (7) that Rice had set back in 1989; pretty impressive considering Flash 80 had 12 catches for 215 yards and three TDs in the Super Bowl alone that year.
Fitz wasn't done after the Super Bowl either, as he managed five receptions for 81 yards and two TDs in this year's Pro Bowl. That's nine TDs after the regular season ended. So while those stats won't win you any fantasy titles, they speak definitively to the momentum he carries with him into '09.
2009 Fantasy Outlook
Fitz has options at QB this year. Warner will be back under center as the Cardinals broke out their check book and showed Anquan Boldin exactly who they credit with last season's wild ride. Two years and $23 million - $15 million of which is a Super Bowl - er - signing bonus. Should something happen to Benny Hinn's #1 fan, Leinart should be at the point of his career where can step in and keep the best WR trio flying.
Fitz leads all WRs in yards per game (YPG) and total receiving yards over the last four seasons. He has averaged nine TDs per season since entering the league, and has only missed four games in his career. There are plenty of guys that have his freakish talents, but it's his mental approach that separates him. He's obsessed. He's probably sitting on his couch catching balls from the Jugs football machine while watching an Alex Haley mini-series.
We remaining cautiously optimistic about Fitz's '09 prospects. Bad things seem to follow the Super Bowl losing squad from a fantasy perspective - check it:
We also see his appointment to the cover of EA Sports Madden 2010 as a hugely negative sign:
Curse or no curse, Super Bowl loser or not, we still love a Fitz. Just not as much as a couple of other WRs. Randy Moss gets his All-everything QB, Tom Brady-Bundchen, back, so he is getting the pole-position this season. And then Andre Johnson is a compelling case for the #2 WR slot. He finished #2 last year in most formats, and if Schaub can stay upright for at least 14 games (three more than last year), he could lead all WRs. We are already putting out Sacajawea on the line bumping Fitty down a couple spots, but it's the right thing to do. Make Fitz the 5th WR off of draft boards this summer.
Click here to buy it at Amazon.com
Contract
After the '07 season, Fitzgerald signed a four-year, $40 million contract, with $30 million of it being guaranteed. He followed that up with the best statistical output of his career along with a record breaking post-season. There is nothing to be concerned with here. Carry on, wayward so.
2009 - $4.6 million (+ $9 million option bonus)
2010 - $6.3 million
2011 - $7 million
2012 - Free Agent*
*if AZ franchises Larry in 2012, they would owe him $23 million for that year!
Handcuff
In The Huddle
Strength of Schedule
ARIZONA CARDINALS
Rank #29 vs. Rush
Rank #25 vs. Pass
1=Toughest 32=Easiest
Fantasy Playoffs
| Receptions Total | Reception Yards | Reception TDs | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Week 15 | 5 | 52 | 0 |
| Week 16 | 3 | 101 | 1 | |
| Week 17 | 5 | 130 | 2 | |
| 2007 | Week 14 | 6 | 79 | 1 |
| Week 15 | 2 | 27 | 1 | |
| Week 16 | 6 | 72 | 0 | |
| 2006 | Week 14 | 7 | 79 | 1 |
| Week 15 | 5 | 77 | 0 | |
| Week 16 | 4 | 93 | 1 | |
Games 1-8 vs. 9-16
| 1-8 | 9-16 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Receptions Total | 49 | 47 |
| Reception Yards | 742 | 689 | |
| Reception Touchdowns | 5 | 7 | |
| 2007 | Receptions Total | 46 | 54 |
| Reception Yards | 642 | 767 | |
| Reception Touchdowns | 1 | 9 | |
| 2006 | Receptions Total | 25 | 44 |
| Reception Yards | 336 | 610 | |
| Reception Touchdowns | 2 | 4 | |
Breaking News
Pro Bowl: Fitz pulls out, replaced by Steve Smith (NYG) expand +
Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald will not be making the trip to Miami for the Pro Bowl this year due to various injuries he's been dealing with for awhile now. Fitz will be replaced on the team by Giants WR Steve Smith.
Pyro's Take:
Smith ended up 3rd in the NFC in receiving yards this year with 1,220 and 1st in receptions with 107. The third-year receiver is also the first Giants wideout to make the Pro Bowl since 1968.
Fitz's elbow injury merely a bruise expand +
According to Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt, the elbow injury sustained by wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is merely a contusion and will have no affect on his practice or playing time going forward.
Pyro's Take:
The Cardinals will likely be resting their starters at least a bit this coming weekend, so if Fitz doesn't play, it will have nothing to do with this injury. Keep an eye out this week for what Whiz plans on doing with his starters in Week 17 against the Pack.
Larry Fitz ready to give it a go expand +
Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is active for the game against the Lions today.
Pyro's Take:
Fitz comes through on his promise as usual. He is, of course, a must-start on your fantasy team against a Lions defense that couldn't stop a mouse from crossing the field if they tried.
Fitzgerald ups his reps, likely to play Sunday expand +
Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (knee) did more at practice today than earlier in the week and though he is listed as questionable for Sunday, he says there is no doubt he'll be out there playing against the Lions.
Pyro's Take:
Fitz should be able to give it a go this weekend, so make sure you get him in your fantasy lineup as he has a great matchup against the lowly Lions.
Fitz limited in practice, but should play Sunday expand +
Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (knee) was limited in practice on Wednesday, but believes he will be out on the field this weekend against the Lions.
Pyro's Take:
Fitz also says that even though his MCL is sprained, it's the bone contusion that's causing him more pain. As long as he progresses throughout the week, he should have no trouble playing on Sunday and will definitely be a WR1 for your fantasy football team going up against the Lions.
Fitz's MRI reveals no significant damage expand +
The Cardinals released a statement regarding the MRI taken on wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald today:
“He had an MRI today that revealed a bone contusion and right knee sprain. However the knee is stable and there isn’t any more significant damage. He’ll be evaluated as the week progresses.”
Pyro's Take:
Fitz has also tweeted a couple of times that he is just fine and expects to practice on Wednesday. We'll keep you updated as more info comes along, but for now, it seems safe to keep the WR1 in your fantasy football lineup for this weekend.
Cards optimistic Fitz will be just fine expand +
Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said on Tuesday morning that there was no definitive news on the knee injury wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald suffered Monday night, but mentioned that the doctors cleared him to continue playing and that Fitz would have an MRI today just to be sure everything was okay.
Pyro's Take:
If the doctors cleared him 15 minutes after he suffered the injury, we tend to believe he'll be just fine. We expect him to miss some practice time this week, but our guess is he'll be playing in Week 15 against the Lions. Check back to be sure you can get him in your fantasy lineup for the playoffs.
Fitzgerald restructures his contract expand +
Arizona Cardinals' all-world WR Larry Fitzgerald has restructured his contract to help the team gain some extra salary cap room. Though Fitz doesn't like to air his personal business, he did have this to say: “Guys that are elite players in the business, they have to sacrifice,” Fitzgerald said. “I know my fellow guy Q, he is in a position he doesn’t want to be in and I just want to see him happy. We talked about it when we moved into the new stadium, I remember in a preseason game talking with him about the Ring of Honor and how nice it would be to both have our names up there one day.” “I volunteered,” Fitzgerald said. “I told them if they needed something I wouldn’t hesitate. They said they needed it.”
Pyro's Take:
This is yet another of many reasons to have much love for this kid. He plays the game with his heart on his sleeve and understands that in the world of sports, you don't always have to be a jag to get what you want. Whether this move gets the Cardinals to pony up the cash for a new deal for Anquan Boldin or not remains to be seen, but it certainly doesn't hurt.
Fear of failure drives Fitzgerald expand +
In a recent interview, Arizona Cardinals WR said that even though he is one of the best receivers in the league, "the biggest thing that scares me is failure. That's my motivating factor."
Pyro's Take:
Some athletes lose the competitive drive once they ink the big deal. Not Fitzgerald. In July, he invited several current NFL receivers, as well as Cris Carter and Jerry Rice, to his home in Minnesota to work out. Rice was able to keep up with Fitz even at the ripe old age of 46!
Fitz is a beast, and draft him like you would one. We like two Johnsons ahead of him, and our debate of Moss or Fitz continues. Either way, he is a top 4 WR in all formats.
