Who Should I Start? James Conner or Jaleel McLaughlin


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
3.4 10.9 0.1 0.9 6.5 0.0

James Conner News

James Conner to Begin the Season on Injured Reserve

Sunday, August 30, 3:52 PM

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (foot) has been placed on injured reserve, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7. Conner has been designated to return later in the season, which means he can rejoin the 53-man roster as early as Week 5. Conner was the overall RB11 with nine touchdowns in 2024, and he had 133 scrimmage yards through three games last year before suffering a season-ending ankle injury. Presumably, when Conner returns from IR, he'll find himself in a significantly smaller role than last year now that the team has added Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier to the backfield. Conner's NFL experience is useful, but it's probably not enough to get him onto the fantasy radar once he returns. He can be avoided in all redraft leagues, and he should be dropped to waivers in shallower dynasty formats.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.8 2.4 0.0 0.2 1.8 0.0

Jaleel McLaughlin News

Jaleel McLaughlin Signs Practice-Squad Deal with Browns

Tuesday, September 1, 5:11 PM

Veteran running back Jaleel McLaughlin has signed a practice-squad deal with the Cleveland Browns, per an announcement from the team. McLaughlin spent the first three years of his NFL career with the Denver Broncos, but he fell out of the team's regular running back rotation in 2025 and was waived by Denver on Sunday. The Browns have a pair of second-year running backs atop their depth chart in Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson. However, McLaughlin could potentially work his way into the backfield mix in Cleveland in the case of an injury. The 25-year-old has been efficient when given the opportunity to this point in his pro career, recording 1,356 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns on 285 touches across 41 career NFL games (nine starts). McLaughlin is not roster-worthy yet, but he could be a name to monitor on the waiver wire in deeper fantasy leagues.


James Conner vs. Jaleel McLaughlin

Still trying to decide between Conner and McLaughlin? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that James Conner is projected to score 3.4 points this week while Jaleel McLaughlin is projected to score 0.8 points.