Who Should I Start? James Conner or Phil Mafah
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
Friday, July 24, 8:14 AM
Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (ankle, foot), who was held out of the offseason program, participated in drills in Thursday's training camp practice, according to Jess Root of Cardinals Wire. Conner will most likely be eased back in this summer after he played in only three games due to the injury in 2025, but he has reportedly fully recovered from the injury and shouldn't face any limitations for the start of the regular season this fall. The problem for the 31-year-old veteran back is that the Cardinals have since added rookie first-rounder Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier to their backfield, so even if he's fully healthy in 2026, he's not going to have near the volume of touches he had before his ankle/foot injury last year. Coming off his serious injury and with lots of competition in the Cardinals' backfield now, Conner's fantasy stock has taken a massive hit. He will go undrafted in most standard-sized leagues and is currently ranked as the No. 77 overall fantasy RB for the 2026 season.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6 | 7.8 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 2.2 | 0.0 |
Phil Mafah News
Friday, July 17, 5:33 PM
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Nick Harris lists Dallas Cowboys running backs Phil Mafah, Jaydon Blue, and Malik Davis as on the bubble heading into training camp this summer. Behind workhorse Javonte Williams, the Cowboys don't have a clear-cut favorite for the RB2 role, "which will create a fascinating battle in training camp and the preseason." The 23-year-old Mafah, who was a seventh-rounder last year out of Clemson, played in only one game and had five rushing attempts for 18 yards and a touchdown. He also caught both of his targets for 11 yards. He's fully healthy and looking to keep the momentum going after a strong offseason "in the eyes of his coaches." Harris writes that Blue has more natural ability than Mafah and Davis due to his explosive speed and receiving abilities, but he will have to win over the coaches after he showed immaturity as a rookie in 2025. Going into training camp, Mafah is only a hold in deep dynasty/keeper leagues as he battles for a depth role in Big D.
James Conner vs. Phil Mafah
Still trying to decide between Conner and Mafah? 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 Phil Mafah is projected to score 1.6 points.
Latest Fantasy News
