Who Should I Start? James Conner or TreVeyon Henderson

Monday, September 22, 6:34 PM

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (ankle) underwent season-ending surgery on Monday after suffering a significant right ankle injury in the third quarter of Sunday's game. Conner was carted off with his ankle immobilized, and head coach Jonathan Gannon confirmed he won't return this season. With Conner sidelined, the Cardinals will turn to second-year back Trey Benson, who has been highly efficient, averaging 6.0 yards per carry (second among RBs). Gannon praised Benson before the season, noting he viewed both Conner and Benson as capable starters. Benson now projects as the lead option in Arizona's backfield, while Emari Demercado is expected to mix in behind him.

Sunday, November 23, 5:42 PM

New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson rushed for 66 yards on 18 carries during Sunday's Week 12 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals. He also caught three of his four targets for an additional 15 receiving yards. There was some concern about Henderson's role with Rhamondre Stevenson returning from injury. While Stevenson did earn some touches, Henderson remained the primary running back. Now that he has the lead role all to himself, the rookie needs to turn his attention to improving his efficiency. He averaged 3.7 yards per carry on Sunday, just one game removed from averaging 3.3 yards per carry against the Jets. If he can improve his scoring or yardage efficiency, he can be an RB1 going forward. In the meantime, he ranks as more of a mid-range RB2 for Week 13 against the New York Giants.