Who Should I Start? James Conner or Kimani Vidal


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 Remains Out of 11-on-11 Work

Wednesday, July 29, 11:13 AM

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (foot) is still not participating in team drills or 11-on-11 work as he continues his recovery from season-ending surgery, according to AZCardinals.com. Conner suffered a right foot injury in Week 3 last season and finished 2025 with 32 carries for 95 yards and one touchdown while adding eight receptions for 38 yards and another score across three games. Arizona has not provided a timetable for his return to full-team work, and the report did not mention a setback. His continued limitations give third-overall pick Jeremiyah Love, free-agent addition Tyler Allgeier, and Trey Benson additional opportunities in a crowded backfield. Love entered the offseason atop the depth chart after Arizona invested the No. 3 pick in him, so Conner will need to progress into team periods before his role can be evaluated clearly. For now, his participation level remains the key development to monitor as camp continues.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
3.3 13.5 0.1 0.7 5.9 0.0

Kimani Vidal News

Kimani Vidal an Underrated Insurance Running Back

Thursday, July 23, 6:50 AM

While excitement continues to build around the Los Angeles Chargers' offense, an often overlooked player has become third-year running back Kimani Vidal. Omarion Hampton flashed enough in an injury-shortened rookie season to show why he was a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Keaton Mitchell's game-breaking speed makes his fit in a Mike McDaniel offense easy to envision, but it was Vidal who led the team in carries and rushing yards a season ago, and he could still serve an important role moving forward. While Mitchell has more standalone fantasy value as the likely change-of-pace back, he is ill-equipped to handle a full workload should Hampton miss time again in his second season, making Vidal more of the true handcuff in this offense. At RotoBaller's RB74, he is not a player who needs to be targeted in fantasy drafts, but Vidal should still be viewed as one of the league's more valuable insurance backs, especially with the Chargers expected to field a much healthier offensive line in 2026.


James Conner vs. Kimani Vidal

Still trying to decide between Conner and Vidal? 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 Kimani Vidal is projected to score 3.3 points.