Who Should I Start? James Conner or Jaydon Blue

Thursday, May 29, 1:04 PM

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (knee) took part in voluntary organized team activities on Wednesday. "I'm ready," Conner said. "We ain't doing this forever." Conner injured his right knee in Week 16 of last year and had six touches before being pulled in Week 17. The Cardinals placed him on Injured Reserve for the Week 18 regular-season finale, but the 30-year-old veteran appears to be fine now and ready to go for the start of the 2025 season this fall. He racked up a career-high 1,518 scrimmage yards on 236 carries while catching 47 of 55 targets in 2024. It was the healthiest Conner had been in his career, so fantasy managers definitely should expect some more missed time given his age and physical running style. For now, he's still being considered a workhorse back in Arizona, but more injuries could give Trey Benson more of a role eventually.

Monday, May 12, 4:24 PM

The Athletic's Jon Machota writes that he thinks Dallas Cowboys running backs Javonte Williams, Jaydon Blue, Miles Sanders and Phil Mafah will end up getting almost all of the backfield work for the team in 2025. Machota sees Williams being the leader early in the season, but eventually the rookie Blue will get more carries and lead the team in rushing. Machota thinks that by the end of the year, Blue, a fifth-round pick this year, will be their No. 1 RB. The 21-year-old Texas product is staying in state and will bring much-needed speed to Dallas' backfield this year. The 5-foot-9, 196-pounder isn't all that big, but he should complement the power of both Williams and Sanders well and provide a nice change-of-pace option with some pass-catching upside. Volume will certainly be a concern early on in Blue's rookie season, but he's not a bad late-round sleeper target for fantasy managers that wait at the position.