Trey

McBride

After going 14 games without a score, McBride heads into the offseason with a touchdown in back-to-back contests. The lack of scoring was legendary, but so was the compiling. His 111 receptions (in 16 games) finish just seven short of the all time record for a tight end, while his 1,146 yards are a sky-scraping number for a seam stretcher. Still only 25 with increased compiling and efficiency (he entered Week 18 second in yards per route run amongst tight ends) each of the past two seasons, McBride has a claim to TE1 overall status in dynasty leagues even with Brock Bowers in the picture. McBride is eligible for a monster extension this offseason.

It took 16 games and nearly three quarters, but McBride finally got his first touchdown of 2024. The 25-year-old had another monster fantasy game, but unfortunately his night ended on a dour note when a pass hit him in the head in the end zone with less than a minute remaining leading to an interception that clinched the game for the Rams. Still, it’s great to see him finally reach paydirt, and fantasy managers can hope for some better redzone luck in 2025. For now, he’ll get one more game in 2024 against the 49ers.

Scoreless-wonder McBride is now up to 92 receptions without a touchdown this season, while today’s 3/20 effort was his least productive PPR box score of the entire year. The Cardinals were eliminated from playoff contention this afternoon, while James Conner was knocked out with a knee injury. It would appear one of the only things they have to play for in Weeks 17 and 18 is getting McBride his long-overdue TD. The Rams are a plus matchup next Sunday.

McBride entered the day needing seven scoreless catches to set the record for receptions without a touchdown in a season. It all came down to a shovel pass at the goal line with 86 catches to his name on the year. He caught No. 87 but couldn’t muscle his way into the end zone, etching his name in the history books in the process. Despite the frustrating lack of a touchdown, McBride still put up TE1 fantasy numbers with ease. McBride could be the league’s top fantasy tight end if he had better luck in the paint. Alas, fantasy managers will have to settle for top-five numbers heading into his Week 16 matchup with Carolina.

McBride’s knee evidently responded positively to his limited workloads on Wednesday and Thursday. The elite TE1 will be on-field for what should be a lay-up victory for the Cardinals. McBride should again rack up double-digit targets.

McBride is on track to play this week but his continued limitations suggest he is dealing with something worth monitoring. Fantasy managers should expect to have their high-volume, elite TE1 available though. Were McBride to sit, Marvin Harrison Jr. would presumably see a sizable increase in targets.

McBride popped up on the injury report with a knee issue Wednesday. He was able to practice in a limited capacity, indicating the issue is minor and that he should still be able to play Week 15. McBride has at least 12 targets in each of his last three games and stands as the top option in the passing game for Kyler Murray. Expect him to suit up barring setbacks as a fantasy TE1 against the Patriots.

McBride drew a shocking 14 targets to lead the Cardinals and now has 41 targets over his past three games. It didn’t amount to much, with Kyler Murray routinely missing McBride on fairly routine throws in the first half before a handful of fourth quarter grabs for the tight end as Arizona chased points late. McBride still, somehow, does not have a touchdown catch on the season. One would think he’ll find the end zone paint before the season is out, perhaps as soon as next week against the Packers.

It’s the second straight game in which McBride has had a dozen receptions — a remarkable feat for a wide receiver, much less a tight end. McBride, who now has five games with at least eight receptions in 2024, tied Marvin Harrison, Jr. for the team lead in targets against Minnesota, operating as Kyler Murray’s preferred underneath target, especially in high leverage situations. With an outside shot to finish as fantasy’s No. 1 overall tight end, McBride should again be an elite option in Week 14 against Seattle, against whom he had 133 scoreless yards in Week 12. With zero TDs on the season, McBride remains the NFL’s most prominent touchdown regression candidate.

McBride set a career high and Cardinals tight end record with 12 catches against the Seahawks. He saw 15 targets, good for a 40.5 percent target share on the day, consistently getting open in the flat and while peeling off blocks. The Cardinals offense failed to push the ball down field, meaning McBride was the favored target over the middle of the field, though once again not scoring a touchdown. With nine targets more than Kyler Murray’s next most-targeted receiver, McBride is the Cardinals’ top pass-catcher. He is a TE1 for Week 13 against the Vikings.