Dynasty Spotlight: Can Marvin Harrison Jr. Rebound and Deliver?

Kevin writes his first dynasty spotlight of the off-season covering why Marvin Harrison Jr. is a prime dynasty buy despite an underwhelming rookie season.

There’s no sugarcoating it—Marvin Harrison Jr.’s rookie season didn’t live up to the sky-high expectations dynasty managers had for him. After being hyped as the next elite WR1 before even taking an NFL snap, finishing as the WR39 in fantasy points per game with just 885 yards and eight touchdowns on 116 targets feels like a letdown. But let’s take a step back. Was it truly a failure, or are we looking at a severely underrated dynasty asset heading into 2025?

Harrison Jr. put up solid counting stats despite being in a less-than-ideal offensive situation. He had two games where he combined for just one catch for four yards, yet he still nearly hit 900 yards on the season. Meanwhile, guys like Brian Thomas Jr., Malik Nabers, and even Ladd McConkey outproduced him in fantasy, but their environments were far more favorable. Thomas Jr. was the undisputed WR1 on a team with no real secondary receiving threats. Nabers got peppered with 170 targets, and McConkey was his team’s primary weapon. Harrison Jr., on the other hand, had to compete for looks in an offense that often utilized him as a deep-threat decoy rather than a focal point.

Despite the frustration, the dynasty market might be overcorrecting. Right now, according to KeepTradeCut, he’s WR11 in dynasty rankings—trailing names like Nico Collins, Drake London, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. That’s a prime buying opportunity. According to FantasyPoints data, Harrison Jr. still finished the year ranking 25th in separation and 15th in route win rate, right behind Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. The underlying metrics suggest he’s still an elite talent—he just needs the right circumstances to unlock his full potential.

That brings us to 2025. If you’re fading Harrison Jr. now, you might be making a mistake. With another year of development, changes in Arizona’s offensive scheme, and a full season alongside Kyler Murray, there’s a real chance he makes a leap. In the rest of this article, I’ll break down why his depth chart and scheme changes should work in his favor, how Murray’s playstyle can elevate him, and why the long-term outlook still screams top 5 upside. But before we dive into why he's a dynasty buy, let’s take a deeper look at Arizona’s offensive situation and how it impacted his rookie season.

Scheme & Roster

The Arizona Cardinals' offense had more than its fair share of struggles in 2024, and Marvin Harrison Jr.'s quiet rookie season didn't help matters. But if you take a closer look at the scheme and depth chart heading into 2025, there's a strong case for why Harrison is set up for a major breakout.

One of the biggest overlooked factors in the Cardinals' offense last season was the use (or misuse) of the slot receiver. Greg Dortch, who has flashed playmaking ability in previous years, saw just 310 snaps, with only 206 coming from the slot. His production was minimal—342 yards on the season, with nearly half of that (144 yards) coming in the final four games. Instead of fully committing to Dortch in the slot, the Cardinals rotated Harrison, Michael Wilson, and even TE Trey McBride into that role. McBride, in particular, saw 303 slot snaps, compared to just 233 as an inline tight end.

This creates an interesting scheme choice moving forward. If the Cardinals lean into a more traditional slot role, it could open things up for both McBride and the outside receivers. They recently agreed to terms with free agent Zay Jones, whom they could envision for that role. More inline snaps for McBride means more space for Harrison to work in high-leverage areas of the field, where his elite route-running and ball-tracking skills can shine.

Another key factor is Drew Petzing’s offensive philosophy. The Cardinals want to establish the run—they ranked 13th in run-play percentage in 2024 (46.2%) and are pushing to be among the top five in 2025, following the blueprint of playoff teams like the Eagles, Ravens, and Steelers. That means heavy usage of 12 and 13 personnel, RPOs, and play action—things that should benefit Harrison by forcing defenses to stay honest. With safeties creeping up to stop the run, Harrison’s deep-threat ability could finally be unlocked.

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