Fantasy Football News

The Cardinals believe RB James Conner's right ankle injury is season-ending, although that prognosis isn't yet official, according to ESPN's Josh Weinfuss. It certainly looked like a season-ender when Conner had to be carted off the field in the loss to the 49ers. We should get final confirmation on Monday.

Update: ESPN's Adam Schefter now confirms that Conner will need season-ending surgery. "The injury is considered 'severe,' even if the team does not yet know the full extent of the damage," Schefter adds.

Cardinals RB James Conner was carted off in the third quarter of Sunday's game vs. the 49ers. The injury was gruesome enough that the broadcast did not show the replay. We'll update Conner's status when we know more, but this looks like a season-ender. That'd turn Trey Benson into Arizona's clear lead back and fantasy starter.

Update: Conner has been ruled out with an ankle injury.

Cardinals RBs James Conner (knee) and Trey Benson (ankle) were listed as limited participants in Wednesday's practice. Both guys seemingly have a chance to play vs. the Rams on Saturday night. We'll get Arizona's final injury report on Thursday afternoon.

Cardinals RB James Conner is questionable to return to Sunday's game vs. the Panthers with a right knee injury. He was having a huge game before going down, running for 117 yards and a score and catching four balls for 49 yards. With RBs Trey Benson and Emari Demercardo out, Arizona is down to RBs Michael Carter and DeeJay Dallas.

The Cardinals spent a third-round pick on RB Trey Benson from Florida State. Benson suffered a multi-ligament knee injury as a freshman at Oregon in 2020 and did very little in 2021. He transferred to Florida State ahead of the 2022 campaign and turned in two highly efficient seasons for the Seminoles. Benson averaged 6.1 yards per carry and scored on 7.4% of his attempts across the past two years. An explosive runner with strong contact balance, Benson scored TDs of 80+ yards as a runner, receiver, and pass-catcher at Florida State. He confirmed his elite athleticism by earning a 9.73 Relative Athletic Score at the Combine, highlighted by a 4.39-second 40 time. Benson also showed promise as a pass-catcher over the last two years, catching 32 of 39 targets and averaging 11.5 yards per reception. He averaged just 13.2 touches per game at Florida State but has the potential to garner a bigger workload as a pro. Going to Arizona likely limits Benson's touch outlook for 2024. But it's a solid landing spot for his dynasty outlook. Check our rookie rankings to see where he lands.

Cardinals RB James Conner tallied 27 carries for 150 rushing yards and a TD in Week 18’s loss vs. the Seahawks. He also added 4 receptions for 54 yards as a pass-catcher in Sunday’s contest. Injuries have marred the veteran throughout his career, though 2023 marks the first time Conner has been able to amass over 1,000 rushing yards in a season, ending the year with 1,040 across 13 games. Though he’ll play in 2024 at age 29, Conner has averaged no fewer than 15.4 PPR points per game over the past three seasons and should be considered a solid low-cost buy for dynasty managers in contending windows. The only item worth being mindful of is that the Cardinals have a potential out in Conner’s contract that would cost a mere $3 million should they choose to move on from him this offseason.

Cardinals RB Michael Carter is a healthy scratch for today's game vs. the Texans. Not a big surprise after he was acquired earlier this week. With RB Emari Demercado out with his toe injury, it'll be RBs Tony Jones and Keaontay Ingram behind James Conner.

Cardinals RB James Conner claimed 16 of 19 RB carries Sunday in his return from the knee injury that landed him on IR for four games. Conner took those for 73 yards (4.6 per rush) but watched QBs Kyler Murray and Clayton Tune claim the team's two rushing scores. No Cardinals RB drew a target, but Conner's 13 pass routes led the position and marked a 36% route rate. That last number marks potential trouble once RB Emari Demercado returns to health. But Conner can help fantasy lineups even just as lead rusher and part-time backfield receiver going forward. Arizona gets a solid RB-scoring matchup with Houston in Week 11.

Arizona Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon says RB James Conner is "getting ready to go, and he's excited to get back when he can get back and play," according to Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com. This week will mark Conner's fourth game on IR, so it sounds like he should be ready to return for a Week 10 home date with the Falcons. We'll obviously have to watch reports on his expected role coming off the knee injury. But you can bet Arizona will be looking to get him back to workhorse use as soon as possible. Neither Emari Demercado nor any other Arizona reserve RB has done anything to challenge the status of a healthy Conner. It's worth noting that Conner would face the eighth-toughest remaining RB schedule if he does return in Week 10, according to our adjusted fantasy points allowed. The biggest potential trouble spots look like a Week 14 bye (duh) and a Week 17 visit to Philadelphia.

Cardinals RB James Conner is expected to miss "multiple weeks" with the knee injury he suffered in the Week 5 loss to the Bengals, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports. We'll see if Conner ends up landing on IR, which would cost him four games. His absence leaves Arizona's backfield to Emari Demercado, Keaontay Ingram, and the just-acquired Tony Jones. Ingram has missed the past two weeks with a neck injury but did get in a couple of limited practices last week. We'll see if he makes it back for Sunday's game vs. the Rams, but Demercado will be the best fantasy bet in this backfield at least for Week 6.

The Cardinals on Monday claimed RB Tony Jones Jr. off waivers from the Saints. That, of course, comes a day after RB James Conner suffered a knee injury and doesn't bode well for Conner's chances of playing in Week 6. Arizona also went without RB Keaontay Ingram in Week 5 because of a neck injury. We'll see about his availability for Sunday's game against the Rams. Emari Demercado currently stands as the best bet to lead Arizona's backfield for that one and is worth a look on waivers this week for needy fantasy teams.

Cardinals RB James Conner logged 6 carries for 48 yards in Week 5 vs. the Bengals before leaving in the second quarter with a knee injury. In his absence, rookie Emari Demercado put up 45 rushing yards and a TD on 10 attempts. We’ll keep an eye on Conner’s health throughout the week. Should he miss time, Demercado would be a name to consider off the waiver wire ahead of Week 6 vs. the Rams.