Who Should I Start? MarShawn Lloyd or Trey Benson

Thursday, May 22, 10:50 PM

The Athletic's Matt Schneidman writes that Green Bay Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd (appendix) is currently healthy and without restrictions during offseason work as he heads into his sophomore season in the NFL. Lloyd, a third-round pick last year, was supposed to be Josh Jacobs' backup in 2024 while providing an intriguing speed and pass-catching element to the backfield, but injuries limited him to just one game. A healthy Lloyd should easily be Jacobs' backup despite Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks exceeding expectations a year ago. In addition to appendicitis, Lloyd missed time last year with ankle and hamstring injuries. He is extremely talented and has the tools to eventually be a three-down back in the NFL, but after a lost rookie season, he'll pretty much only be a handcuff for Jacobs in ingle-year fantasy leagues in 2025.

Monday, March 3, 11:05 PM

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon has high hopes for running back Trey Benson as he heads into his second NFL season in 2025. James Conner re-signed with the Cardinals after posting a career-high 1,094 rushing yards in 16 starts in 2024, but Benson is expected to take on a bigger role and be more productive in Year 2. "If (Trey) takes the necessary jump from Year 1 to Year 2, I think we have two starting backs," Gannon said. "That's how I view those guys. You see certain teams out there with two '1s,' I would say, and I think we should have two '1s' next year." The 22-year-old Benson finished with only 291 rushing yards on 63 carries in his rookie season, but he was playing at his best when he injured his ankle late in the year. Benson's fantasy ceiling will be limited as long as Conner stays healthy in 2025, but fantasy managers that select Conner should look to handcuff him with Benson.