Who Should I Start? James Conner or Garrett Wilson

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.

Saturday, January 31, 5:33 AM

New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson (knee) had his 2025 season cut short by a knee injury that he suffered in Week 6. After attempting to make a comeback in Week 10, Wilson was eventually shut down for the remainder of the year. Across the seven games he played, the 25-year-old recorded 36 receptions for 395 yards and four touchdowns on 59 targets. While Wilson remains an obvious talent at the wide receiver position and profiles as the clear lead option in the Jets' passing game going forward, the offensive infrastructure around him in New York continues to be a major question mark. Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor, and Brady Cook all saw time at quarterback for the Jets in 2025, but none of them appears to be the team's long-term answer at the position. As such, Wilson will likely be working with yet another new quarterback in 2026. New York will also have a new play-caller after moving on from offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand. Wilson still profiles as a solid wide receiver option for fantasy managers in 2026, but the unstable situation around him limits his production certainty.