Larry Fitzgerald Is Strong Fantasy Football Buy-Low Candidate After Poor Opener

A lot of fantasy football owners who invested a relatively high draft pick on Larry Fitzgerald are already pressing the panic button after he caught just a single pass in Week 1. That makes it a perfect time to target the Arizona Cardinals wide receiver.

Fitzgerald had one catch for 22 yards against the San Diego Chargers despite Carson Palmer attempting 37 passes in the contest. Those on the East Coast who went to bed during the late Monday night game needing points woke up to disappointment.

It's not just the numbers that have fantasy owners worried, though. Darren Urban of the team's official site passed along comments from head coach Bruce Arians following the game, and he made it clear there isn't a plan in place to get any certain player the ball:

A combination of those two factors is certainly at least a minor cause of concern. That's why some may be looking to cut Fitzgerald loose before his value potentially declines further in the weeks ahead.

There are several things to keep in mind that make him an intriguing option should he be available via trade in your league.

Most importantly, that type of performance from the Pittsburgh product is almost unprecedented. He played all 16 games last season and had at least five catches 10 times. His lowest total the entire campaign was two.

NFL on ESPN noted the lack of targets was also completely abnormal:

He's one of the most consistent, reliable receivers in the league. To think his production is suddenly going to fall off a cliff due to one poor performance isn't logical. He had 82 catches for more than 950 yards and 10 touchdowns just last season.

It's also important to note Fitzgerald's durability. He last missed a regular-season game all the way back in 2007 and has never missed more than three in a year. It's an underrated fantasy trait considering how many fantasy seasons are altered or ruined by injuries.

Then there's the Arizona offense. It's a unit that's going to lean heavily on the aerial attack all season long. The three running backs combined for 21 carries while, as mentioned above, Palmer finished with nearly 40 pass attempts.

It wouldn't be a surprise if that's the type of ratio the Cardinals feature all season. And it's unlikely 11 different players will catch a pass on a weekly basis, as was the case against San Diego. Those targets are much more likely to get directed toward Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd.

Of the 37 attempts, there were seven to Floyd, five to Andre Ellington out of the backfield and then four to Fitzgerald. The rest were directed toward other players. That's very likely to change moving forward with a greater emphasis on the team's top playmakers.

He also sports an awe-inspiring set of hands:

Arians' comments make sense. He wouldn't want Palmer forcing the ball to Fitzgerald if he's covered just for the sake of saying he reached a certain target quota. At the same time, getting the ball to one of your best players rather than reserve options is obviously preferred.

Looking ahead, the Cardinals should have a field day against a New York Giants defense that gave up 341 passing yards in Week 1. The matchup presents a golden opportunity for Fitzgerald to get right back on track, especially if the Giants shift their main focus to Floyd.

That's why it's important to capitalize on any impatient fantasy owners now before he has a big game. If he's available for a No. 3 running back or in a lateral move for a slightly lesser wideout, don't avoid the deal because of one bad game.

Once Fitzgerald alleviates those concerns from the opener in Week 2, he should return to his quietly productive self the rest of the way.