Tight End · Arizona Cardinals
Trey McBride — 2026 Fantasy Outlook
Analysis by Shawn Childs, from his 2026 guide — his words, unedited.
The case
- · Only eight running backs and wide receivers scored more PPR fantasy points than McBride (315.90) in 2025.
- · He outscored the second-best tight end (Kyle Pitts – 210.80) by 105.10 PPR fantasy points.
- · McBride averaged 17.14 PPR fantasy points across his last 34 starts.
- · Touchdowns (11) become relevant in his fantasy stat line in 2025 after only scoring six times across his first 49 games in the NFL.
- · The Cardinals led the NFL in completions (427) and pass attempts (649) last year, but ranked much lower in 2024 (374-for-543).
- · McBride ranked third in the NFL in targets (169) behind Ja’Marr Chase (185) and Amon-Ra St. Brown (172).
- · Only Puka Nacua (129) had more catches than McBride (126).
- · Over four years in the NFL, he’s missed two games, compared to five by Brock Bowers in 2024 and 2025.
- · McBride scored over 20.00 PPR fantasy points in seven of his last 12 starts, giving him an elite floor ratio (88.2% over 10.00 fantasy points) with 10 outcomes higher than 15.00 fantasy points.
Question marks
- · The Cardinals brought in a new head coach and offensive coordinator. Mike LaFleur saw his tight ends with the Rams blossom in 2025 (103/1,128/17 on 150 targets).
- · Arizona drafted a stud running back (Jeremiyah Love – third overall) and invested in a rookie quarterback in the third round (Carson Beck).
- · How much does their offense change from 2025? Trailing in games led to the Cardinals airing the ball out.
- · Does Trey McBride’s ceiling change if Carson Beck starts for a significant part of Arizona’s games later in the season?
Shawn's conclusion
What’s not to like about McBride? He has been a beast in back-to-back years, and the Cardinals have an exciting cast of foundation offensive players. The emergence of Michael Wilson may steal some targets from McBride while the fantasy market continues to wait for Marvin Harrison to put his stud stamp on his receiving production. If Arizona/Love runs the ball well, McBride will even have more room to operate over the short areas of the field.
More on McBride
McBride's rookie year was spent largely in a complementary role behind Zach Ertz, and he made the most of his limited opportunities — catching 29 of 39 targets for 265 yards and a touchdown. He saved his best work for late in the season, with a four-catch, 55-yard performance in Week 15 and a seven-catch, 78-yard, one-touchdown breakout in Week 17.
The 2023 fantasy market presented a coin flip between Ertz and McBride, and the younger option proved to be the right call. McBride was relatively quiet through the first seven weeks (15 catches, 170 yards on 21 targets), but once he took over the starting role in Week 8 (announcing himself with a 10/95/1, 95-yard performance), the Cardinals’ offense ran through him. Over his final 10 games, McBride caught 66 of 85 targets for 655 yards and three touchdowns, with three additional standout outings (8/131, 8/89/1, and 10/102) and a floor of six catches in seven of those starts.
That second-half surge proved to be a preview of what was coming. McBride turned in a monster 2024 campaign, catching 111 of 147 targets for 1,146 yards and finishing as the second-best fantasy tight end in PPR formats with 249.80 points. The lingering limitations were a lack of touchdowns. He didn't find the end zone until Week 17 and finished with just two scores and modest big-play production at 10.3 yards per catch. Still, his volume and reliability were elite. Over his final 10 starts (78/824/2 on 102 targets — 17.86 fantasy points per game), McBride topped 15.00 points six times (9/124, 12/133, 12/96, 9/87, 12/123/1, and 7/65/1). A concussion sidelined him for Week 4, his only missed game of the season.
McBride soared in the Cardinals’ passing attack last year by setting new highs in catches (126), receiving yards (1,239), and targets (169). More importantly. He became an elite scoring threat (11 TDs). His yards per catch (9.8) regressed slightly. Arizona gave him double-digit targets in eight matchups, which led to six impact tight end games (8/72/1, 10/74/2, 9/127/1, 10/115/1, 12/134/2, and 10/76/1). He had a floor of six catches in 12 of his 17 starts.
Despite his elite outlook and previous success, McBride is the 27th-ranked player drafted (2nd tight end) in the National Fantasy Football Championship. His ADP (26) puts him in the early third round in that format. His edge at tight end is massive, creating a fantasy advantage even with some pullback in his stats. I’ll set his bar at 110 catches for 1,100 yards and seven touchdowns.
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