Who Should I Start? Bam Knight or Jonathon Brooks

Tuesday, December 16, 4:29 PM

The Arizona Cardinals announced on Tuesday that they placed running back Bam Knight (ankle) on Injured Reserve, which will end his season. Knight was carted off the field in Sunday's loss to the Houston Texans and is nursing a "bad sprain." The 24-year-old took over lead-back duties after both James Conner (foot) and Trey Benson (knee) suffered injuries earlier this season. He hasn't been very efficient (3.3 yards per carry) on a team-high 82 rushing attempts this year, but he currently leads the Cardinals with 269 rushing yards while also scoring four touchdowns on the ground. In the final three weeks of the season, fantasy managers should expect Michael Carter to take over on early downs for the Cardinals, with Emari Demercado serving in the pass-catching role in a pass-happy offense. Knight can safely be dropped in redraft leagues.

Sunday, February 15, 4:39 AM

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) has been dealt some very unfortunate injury luck since entering the NFL. Brooks tore his ACL in November 2023 while still at Texas, causing him to fall to the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The injury cost him the first few weeks of his NFL career, but he debuted in Week 12 of the 2024 season with a very small workload. He ultimately played just three games that season before suffering another ACL tear, and he has been sidelined ever since. Brooks' recovery timetable suggests that he should be healthy for the 2026 season. It's fair for fantasy managers to have their doubts about Brooks, given that he has just 12 touches through two years, but we can't forget how productive he was at Texas. Additionally, he should benefit from a clear path to productivity in Carolina. Rico Dowdle is expected to depart in free agency and Trevor Etienne had an underwhelming season, resulting in a wide-open competition for the No. 2 running back role behind Chuba Hubbard. If healthy, Brooks could be the favorite for that role. He'd presumably be eased back into action, but he has top-40 running back appeal if he's healthy for Week 1.