Who Should I Start? James Conner or Rhamondre Stevenson

Monday, February 16, 7:27 AM

The Athletic's Doug Haller believes that Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (foot) could be a salary cap casualty this offseason. Conner has been a major asset to Arizona's offense during his five years with the team and is among the most respected players in the locker room, but he's also coming off a severe foot injury that limited him to just three games in 2025. He'll turn 31 years old in May and is under contract through the 2026 season, and cutting him would save the Cardinals around $8 million. Cutting Conner would allow the team to use the extra money to find a younger replacement in the backfield. The Cardinals would face a $2.25 million dead-cap hit by releasing Conner if he's a pre-June 1 cut. Even though Conner had two 1,000-yard seasons before his injury last year, he will most likely struggle to find a prominent role as a lead back in either Arizona or somewhere else next season while coming off a serious injury.

Monday, February 9, 1:18 PM

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 23 yards on seven carries during Sunday's Super Bowl LX loss against the Seattle Seahawks. He also caught all five of his targets for an additional 40 receiving yards. Stevenson struggled rushing the ball, but he remained involved and effective in the passing game as New England prioritized shorter pass attempts over deep shots downfield. This was a familiar trend for Stevenson, who essentially won back the primary ball-carrier role after returning from injury in late November. Even with second-round rookie Tre'Veyon Henderson in the mix, Stevenson tallied 603 rushing yards, 32 catches, 345 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns across 14 contests. He averaged 12.8 full-PPR points per game, finishing the year as the overall RB25. Henderson should get even more involved next season, but Stevenson will still have a sizable role. He enters 2026 fantasy drafts as a mid-to-low RB3/flex option.