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Kenyan Drake's Fantasy Outlook with Cardinals After Reported Dolphins Trade
October 28, 2019
The Miami Dolphins have finally traded running back Kenyan Drake.
Just not to a destination many expected.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Dolphins traded Drake to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday for a conditional 2020 pick in a move that could create a boom of instant production but has little long-term upside.
The Cardinals are dealing with injuries to running backs David Johnson and Chase Edmonds, so Drake could be thrust into the lineup for Thursday's game against the San Francisco 49ers. That makes him one of the top waiver priorities on the market this week, as Drake is still available in 42 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Long term, however, Johnson is the Cardinals' high-priced bellcow and should return to the starting lineup once he's recovered from an ankle injury. Edmonds was coming off a 126-yard, three-touchdown game in Johnson's stead before leaving early Sunday with a hamstring injury.
Unless Johnson or Edmonds is more severely injured than we've been led to believe, Drake could wind up the third back in a committee within a couple of weeks.
The Cardinals only gave up a conditional sixth-round pick for Drake (could become a fifth), so this seems to be a situation where they were acting out of desperation. They were winners of three straight before Sunday's 31-9 loss to the Saints, and a wild-card berth remains a remote possibility.
The Cardinals also likely did not want to force rookie QB Kyler Murray into a situation where he's facing an uphill battle without a running back. Zach Zenner, who was out of the NFL before being signed last week, is the only other running back on the depth chart.
If you can get your hands on Drake for this coming week, he's a high-priority add with RB1 upside. Anything beyond this week will depend on the statuses of Johnson and Edmonds.