Who Should I Start? James Conner or Zach Charbonnet

Monday, September 8, 10:21 AM

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner did not have an efficient game, but did score a touchdown in his team's 20-13 Week 1 victory over the New Orleans Saints. Conner rushed for 39 yards on 12 attempts and added four catches for five yards and a touchdown as a receiver. Notably, second-year Cardinals running back Trey Benson was much more successful as a rusher, finishing with 69 yards on eight carries. Arizona may feature Benson more heavily in 2025, especially given that Conner is now 30 years old. The veteran still figures to be his team's goal-line back, but the workload split between Conner and Benson is one for fantasy managers to monitor closely in the coming weeks.

Monday, September 8, 1:14 PM

According to Greg Bell of the News Tribune, there could be more opportunities for both running backs, Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet. Head coach Mike Macdonald noted that "both played well" and "protected our quarterback." Fantasy managers should continue to monitor their usage as they split work in their season opener on Sunday afternoon. Walker carried the ball 10 times while Charbonnet took 12 carries. Charbonnet was slightly more efficient, posting a 3.9 YPC while Walker held an average of 2.0 YPC. Charbonnet also found the back of the end zone. However, Walker got the better end of the receiving game as he caught all three of his targets, while Charbonnet was not targeted once. Since both appear to be in a timeshare, they will continue to limit each other's ceiling and will carry touchdown-dependent flex appeal heading into Week 2.