Larry Fitzgerald

Week Fourteen Drop: In the last three weeks, Larry Fitzgerald has managed to total only five catches and 65 yards, so obviously, the Ryan Lindley experiment is failing. Fitz's three consecutive games of 31 or fewer yards are by far the worst three-game stretch of his career. To give you a little clarity on this, Fitz has totaled less than 31 yards five times this season. In the previous three seasons that only happened three times. When you also consider his fantasy playoff weeks include matchups at Seattle, home against Detroit and finishing out against the Chicago Bears, there's no reason Fitz should find his way into your lineup this playoff season.

Week Eleven Analysis: It's been almost a lost season for Larry Fitzgerald due to poor quarterback play, a non-existent running game and the emergence Andre Roberts to steal a touch or two. What all of that means is that defenses have focused on shutting out Fitz. And it's working. Fitzgerald has topped 75 yards only twice in his last six games and is on pace to match his career low in touchdowns. We hope he can get it done this week in Atlanta, and there is a small glimmer of hope. Despite overall strong numbers against wideouts, the Falcons have allowed at least one wide receiver touchdown in five of their last six games and have yielded a 90-yard game to a wideout in three of the last four.

Week Nine Analysis: After an unexciting five catches for 52 yards on Monday night, Larry Fitzgerald has now had four games this year in which he has not topped 65 yards or scored. Shaky quarterback play from John Skelton is partly to blame, but that hasn't hurt Andre Roberts from having a nice little season. Now that Fitz has shaken free of matchups with the improved Vikings secondary and always tough 49ers defense, he should get back on track this week in Green Bay, especially without Charles Woodson. This is the same Packers team that has allowed 100-yard games to Cecil Shorts, Reggie Wayne and Marques Colston and allowed six other wide receivers to top 60 yards in just the last five weeks.

Week Eight Analysis: Larry Fitzgerald found a production valley last week in Minnesota, as Fitz hauled in only four catches for 29 yards, but before that game he was riding high. In the four weeks prior, Fitz was averaging 13 targets, eight catches, 91 yards and had scored in three of four. Now he faces a tough 49ers club, but he's hard to bench. San Francisco has only allowed one touchdown to a wide receiver since Week 1, and has not allowed a wideout to top 94 yards this season. However, in a PPR format, starting caliber wide receivers have still done alright. Victor Cruz, Steve Johnson, Percy Harvin, Calvin Johnson and Randall Cobb have each had six or more receptions against the Niners this season.

Week Seven Analysis: Larry Fitzgerald returns to his hometown this week for a matchup against the Vikings. In the last four weeks Fitz has topped 90 yards or scored in every game and has topped eight receptions in three of four. The Vikings haven't been known as a great pass defense in a quarter century, but this year they've held opposing wide receivers to only two touchdowns and have not allowed a wideout to top 66 yards or score in four weeks. Much of the Vikings success has to do with veteran Antoine Winfield allowing an average of only 60 yards per game to his opponent. Fitz is aided by the return of John Skelton, who, historically, throws almost exclusively to Fitz.

Week Six Analysis: Doubters of Larry Fitzgerald were gloating after his Week 2 performance against New England in which he had one catch for four yards. Since that day no player in the league has had more targets than Fitz, who is averaging 13 per game. Poor yardage totals in the first two weeks contribute to the fact that Fitz is only averaging 67 yards per game this season, but he's pulled in 92 or more yards in each of those last three weeks. His opponent this week, the Buffalo Bills are one of only two teams to have allowed 10 wide receiver touchdowns already this year and one out of nine completed passes against the Bills is going for a score.

Week Five Analysis: As if in response to his one-catch, four-yard game in week two, Larry Fitzgerald has posted 17 receptions for 178 yards and two scores in the two weeks since then. This is not the porous Rams secondary of the last decade though. New corners Cortland Finnegan and Janoris Jenkins are allowing only 137 yards per game to opposing wide receivers this season and have yielded a league-low one touchdown to wideouts. Fitzgerald has not topped 61 yards against the Rams in five straight games and has scored only once in his last four games against St. Louis.

Week Four Analysis: Fitzgerald's numbers this season are as wildly unpredictable as the world's supply of bacon. Last week he got on the path to another 1,000 and 10 season, with nine catches, 114 yards and a touchdown against Nnamdi Asomugha and the Eagles. If Fitzgerald can take on a secondary like the Eagles, the Dolphins should be no problem. Miami has allowed two receivers to surpass 115 yards in the first three weeks. Fitzgerald has a great opportunity to make that three out of four.

Week Two Analysis: You couldn't have possibly convinced me that the Cardinals would have won in New England last week with Larry Fitzgerald accounting for only one catch and four yards. Fitz has only put up five catches for 67 yards in the first two weeks and this week doesn't look promising. A trip to the Asomugha Archipelago is never a fun destination. In fact most quarterbacks avoid the area like the Bermuda Triangle. According to Pro Football Focus, over the last 18 games, quarterbacks have only thrown 54 passes in his direction, resulting in only 32 catches. That's less than two catches per game! I don't trust Fitzgerald to bounce back this week.

Week Two Analysis: Of the 22 passing touchdowns the Arizona Cardinals have recorded in the last 17 weeks, 10 have come on a pass from Kevin Kolb and 11 have come from John Skelton. Larry Fitzgerald has been on the receiving end of eight of those scores. Five came from Skelton, two came from Kolb and one came from Richard Bartel. From distance, Kolb is responsible for five of the seven touchdown passes from 40 or more yards. What does this exercise prove? You can forget about who the mediocre quarterback is behind the center and realize that Fitzgerald has games every year where he puts up huge numbers. This week he faces the NFL's worst pass defense from a year ago, the Patriots. The Pats allowed the most receptions and yards to opposing wideouts last season, and it wasn't even close. Young cornerbacks Devin McCourty and Kyle Arrington continue to improve with on-the-job training, but they did allow 272 yards and allowed Nate Washington to score last week.

Week One Analysis: Until the quarterback situation is hammered out in the desert, Larry Fitzgerald is the most talented receiver in the NFL with the least talented quarterbacks. John Skelton seems to have the upper hand on the starter's gig for now, which is good for Fitz. In the eight games in which Skelton started last year, the Cards were 6-2 and Fitzgerald caught five of his eight touchdown passes. The opponent, the Seattle Seahawks, allowed only two wide receiver touchdowns in the last eight weeks of the season. Larry Fitzgerald's two games against the Seahawks last year yielded some good numbers however, including one game with 64 yards and a score and another with nine catches for 149 yards.

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