5 Reasons to Draft Michael Floyd in Your Fantasy Football League

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The Arizona Cardinals made a big move in the 2012 NFL draft to upgrade their receiving corps, using their No. 13 overall pick on highly-touted Notre Dame receiver Michael Floyd. 

Almost immediately, visions of Larry Fitzgerald and Floyd replicating what Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin accomplished in Arizona came to mind.

But Floyd has been slow out of the gates so far in training camp, which begs the question: should you spend a fantasy draft pick on Floyd in 2012?

In the following slides, we'll give you five reasons to consider taking him in your fantasy draft. 

Size and Speed

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One of the biggest reasons why teams were comfortable considering Floyd in the top 20 picks this April was his incredible size/speed combination. 

At 6'3", 220 pounds, Floyd still managed to run in the 4.4's in the 40-yard dash. Few receivers, even in today's faster and bigger NFL, can say the same. Floyd also jumped 36.5 inches in the vertical leap at the NFL Combine in February. 

Floyd's tremendous size, speed and leaping ability will make it hard to keep him off the field, especially on third down and in the red zone. 

Big Upside as Season Progresses

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While reports out of the desert say Floyd is opening camp as the team's No. 4 receiver, a slow start doesn't write off Floyd's fantasy potential. 

According to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic, Floyd was stuck behind Andre Roberts and Early Doucet as camp opened up. 

From a fantasy perspective, Floyd's slow start could be a blessing.

For one, he's going to go low in most drafts. Few are going to spend a high pick on a fourth-string receiver, but it also gives him a decent chance of exploding down the road once he gets his feet wet in an NFL game. Floyd is simply too talented to be kept down for an entire season. 

The Risk Is Minimized

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This is piggy-backing a little off the last slide, but it's worth mentioning again.

With Floyd remaining fourth on the Cardinals' depth chart, the fantasy buzz simply hasn't generated. According to ESPN, Floyd's average draft position is at 138.3, with 48 receivers being ranked ahead of him. 

Where's the risk in taking a flier? Floyd may not contribute early, but at some point the opportunity will present itself. Having Floyd stashed on your bench won't seem like such a bad idea once that (eventually) happens. 

Larry Fitzgerald's Presence

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Once Floyd gets on the field—and it will happen—he should benefit greatly from the presence of six-time Pro Bowler Larry Fitzgerald. 

Few receivers in the game demand more attention from a defense on every play.

Ask Anquan Boldin (who caught more than 70 passes in each of his seasons with Fitzgerald in Arizona) how important having that kind of presence opposite him really is. In two seasons with Baltimore, Boldin has yet to crack that mark. 

I'm confident Floyd can beat single teams at the next level. With Fitz on the field with him, defenses probably can't afford to use anything more than one man on the rookie receiver.

Kolb/Skelton Can Still Produce Fantasy Numbers

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For as bad as Kevin Kolb was in the win-loss column, and as poor as John Skelton was in the stat book, the Cardinals still got decent fantasy production outside of Fitzgerald last season. 

Andre Roberts caught over 50 passes for almost 600 yards, and Early Doucet was efficient with 54 catches for 689 yards and five scores. Of course both players remain above Floyd on the current depth chart. 

But 2012 also brings a heightened sense of stability at the quarterback position in Arizona, and Kolb winning the job (as he is now) bodes well for any of the Cardinals' fantasy quarterbacks.