Who Should I Start? James Conner or Kaleb Johnson

Monday, September 8, 10:21 AM

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner did not have an efficient game, but did score a touchdown in his team's 20-13 Week 1 victory over the New Orleans Saints. Conner rushed for 39 yards on 12 attempts and added four catches for five yards and a touchdown as a receiver. Notably, second-year Cardinals running back Trey Benson was much more successful as a rusher, finishing with 69 yards on eight carries. Arizona may feature Benson more heavily in 2025, especially given that Conner is now 30 years old. The veteran still figures to be his team's goal-line back, but the workload split between Conner and Benson is one for fantasy managers to monitor closely in the coming weeks.

Friday, September 5, 6:33 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson will make his regular-season NFL debut against the New York Jets in Week 1. A third-round pick in April's draft, Johnson has plenty of potential, especially in a Steelers offense that has ranked top-10 in rush attempts in each of the past three seasons. That said, it's unclear just how much of a role Johnson will have early on. Head coach Mike Tomlin recently labeled Jaylen Warren the team's "featured runner", and veteran Kenneth Gainwell currently sits ahead of Johnson on the depth chart. With Sunday's contest expected to be low-scoring, there is no reason to force Johnson into starting lineups. He should remain rostered in all formats, but fantasy managers would be wise to take a wait-and-see approach with Johnson.