Who Should I Start? James Conner or A.J. Dillon

Monday, February 16, 7:27 AM

The Athletic's Doug Haller believes that Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (foot) could be a salary cap casualty this offseason. Conner has been a major asset to Arizona's offense during his five years with the team and is among the most respected players in the locker room, but he's also coming off a severe foot injury that limited him to just three games in 2025. He'll turn 31 years old in May and is under contract through the 2026 season, and cutting him would save the Cardinals around $8 million. Cutting Conner would allow the team to use the extra money to find a younger replacement in the backfield. The Cardinals would face a $2.25 million dead-cap hit by releasing Conner if he's a pre-June 1 cut. Even though Conner had two 1,000-yard seasons before his injury last year, he will most likely struggle to find a prominent role as a lead back in either Arizona or somewhere else next season while coming off a serious injury.

Friday, October 17, 8:13 PM

Philadelphia Eagles running back A.J. Dillon was the only other member of the Philly backfield to get any action in Week 6, carrying the ball once and grabbing two receptions in the loss. Dillon played just 14% of snaps once again, but seems to have cemented himself as the primary handcuff option for if Saquon Barkley goes down. If managers have Barkley and some extra room on the bench, Dillon isn't a bad piece to add just in case. But for now, that's his only fantasy value. He should not be in lineups for his upcoming matchup against the Vikings.