Sleeper Watch

Back in January, we found ourselves wondering where Kurt Warner would wind up playing this season. We’ve known since March that the veteran quarterback would be calling Arizona home; now we know that he’ll also be the Cardinals’ starter.

It probably comes as no surprise that head coach Dennis Green would hand over the reins of his offense to the former most valuable player rather than Josh McCown or John Navarre. And playing in Arizona, Warner might not make a bad fantasy backup.

The Cardinals have a trio of young receivers with considerable upside in Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin (assuming he agrees to a contract extension, which seems likely) and Bryant Johnson. In the second round of this year’s draft, the team plucked RB JJ Arrington, who could add a bit of excitement to a running game that produced a league-worst 3.5 yards per carry last season.

Clearly, Arizona’s offense won’t turn into a powerhouse overnight, but with an improving supporting cast and a schedule that features several lesser defenses, Warner might not be a bad fill-in when your first-string passer is on a bye or faces a tough matchup. Keep him in mind on draft day when it’s time to select your backups.