Who Should I Start? James Conner or Roschon Johnson

Saturday, September 7, 5:33 AM

When the Arizona Cardinals open their season on Sunday, it will mark running back James Conner's eighth as a pro, and his fourth with the team. Since joining the Cardinals in 2021, Conner has the eleventh-most carries in the league despite missing seven games due to injury over the last two seasons and starting only six games in 2021. Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing recently told the media that Conner is "the bell cow in that room," signaling he will maintain his role despite rookie Trey Benson's presence on the depth chart. In 2023, Conner turned in his first 1,000-yard season and finished with the third-most rushing yards per game (80.0). The Buffalo Bills have a stout defense but last season had a weakness against running backs, allowing 4.4 yards per carry (eighth-worst in the NFL) and 6.33 yards per target (fourth-worst) to the position. Conner can be started as a solid RB2 option in Week 1.

Friday, September 6, 3:12 PM

Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson (toe) was upgraded to a full practice on Friday and was subsequently removed from the final injury report for Week 1 on Sunday at Soldier Field against the visiting Tennessee Titans. Johnson began the week on Wednesday with a limited practice and followed suit on Thursday before being a full-go on Friday. The 23-year-old missed valuable reps in training camp and the preseason with his toe injury, but he's ready for the start of the regular season and should be left on fantasy benches in the vast majority of leagues in Week 1. To open the 2024 campaign, Johnson is lined up as Chicago's RB3 behind D'Andre Swift and Khalil Herbert. The former fourth-rounder last year out of Texas, Johnson played in 15 games (zero starts) and compiled 352 yards on 81 carries (4.3 yards per tote) while scoring two TDs on the ground. He added 34 catches for 209 yards.