2025 Fantasy Football: Will Marvin Harrison Jr. Break Out?

We are going to see a breakout from Marvin Harrison this season. With an ADP of 36, I’m clearly not the only one that feels that way. This isn’t exactly unchartered territory here and I’m not going off on an island, but it’s real.

Harrison is currently the 16th wide receiver coming off the board, and there’s an easy path to a top-10 finish. If the top of the wide receiver rankings weren’t as strong as they are, a top-5 expectation would be very possible. Instead, we’ll stick with Harrison being a top-10 receiver.

What’s clear though, is that Harrison’s in a great situation heading into his second NFL season.

We know that adjusting to life in the NFL isn’t a seamless process for wide receivers. As the season progressed, but especially this offseason and heading into Training Camp, the chemistry between Harrison and Kyler Murray has progressed quite well.

In their first preseason game, the duo connected for a 15-yard reception. Additionally, they excelled during Arizona’s joint practices against a tough Denver defense. It’s clear that this momentum will carry through to the regular season. More importantly though, Harrison has the talent to excel. That was evident last year despite his lack of success. But what’s clear though, is that Harrison certainly laid the groundwork to turn fantasy managers into league winners this season.

The fact that we call Harrison’s 2024 season a disappointment speaks volumes to his upside, talent, and the level of expectations present. Harrison was targeted 116 times, but he turned that into just 62 catches for 885 yards and eight touchdowns. As Arizona’s offense improves, led by Murray, and the improved chemistry is on display, Harrison’s efficiency is bound to increase.

What’s clear though, is that Harrison was the center of Arizona’s offense. He was the recipient of 42.2% of Arizona’s air yards and 22.2% of their targets. Harrison was also targeted on 21.8% of his routes, so the utilization was there. It’s clear that Harrison was featured early and often. All three of those metrics rank at the top of the NFL leaderboard. His adjustments to playing at the professional level will also help to turn more of that workload, especially the targets, into receptions and production.

The good news though, is that Harrison only had two drops last season. His experience should help him improve on deep balls, and it’s clear that the Cardinals are going to utilize him there. He averaged 89.2 air yards per game and had an average depth of target of 13.1 yards. That’s a far cry from the 7.6 yards per target that Harrison generated.

Considering how often he was targeted down field; the lack of big plays was alarming. Harrison had 14 catches of greater than 20 yards, but only one beyond 40 yards. Even subtle and small improvements to his game can generate a big swing. The good news though, is that Harrison was able to find the end zone as he finished with eight touchdowns.

All of the pieces are here for Harrison to bust out. Would it really be surprising to see him finish with 1,400 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns? The problem is that Harrison is already being drafted as if he’s going to continue to ascend and at least come close to those numbers. It’s a good thing then that the he’ll likely attain it.