Who Should I Start? Trey Benson or Jaleel McLaughlin


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.7 3.0 0.0 0.1 0.9 0.0

Trey Benson News

Trey Benson Placed on Cardinals' Injured Reserve

Tuesday, August 25, 5:09 PM

After the Arizona Cardinals waived running back Trey Benson with an injury designation, Benson was placed on injured reserve, ending his 2026 season. All 31 other teams passed on Benson on the waiver wire, so the running back will spend the 2026 season on injured reserve. The former third-round pick has totaled 111 attempts for 574 yards and one touchdown in 17 career games with Arizona. Benson underwent meniscus surgery during the 2025 season but was unable to return to play despite being activated off injured reserve. The third-year running back could've affected another running back room across the league, but with him out for the season, fantasy managers can safely drop Benson if they had him on their rosters.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.8 2.4 0.0 0.2 1.8 0.0

Jaleel McLaughlin News

Jaleel McLaughlin Fighting for RB4 Spot in 2026

Tuesday, July 14, 7:54 AM

Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin is set to battle for the RB4 spot in the Broncos' backfield this summer with Tyler Badie, according to The Denver Post's Luca Evans. The Broncos are expected to keep only four RBs on their active 53-man roster, so the loser of the battle will be the odd-man out. McLaughlin was a healthy scratch early on in 2025 but eventually became Denver's most effective per-touch skill player down the stretch after J.K. Dobbins' season-ending foot injury boosted him to RB2 duties behind rookie RJ Harvey. But with rookie Jonah Coleman now in the mix in 2026, McLaughlin's path to a fourth straight season opening the year on the active roster "looks dicey." Badie, meanwhile, is trusted by the coaching staff and quarterback Bo Nix for his pass-protection skills and veteran instincts. The 25-year-old McLaughlin has an impressive 4.8 yards per carry in his career, but Badie's work in passing situations may eventually win out. Even if McLaughlin wins a 53-man roster spot out of training camp and the preseason, it's clear that both his redraft and dynasty fantasy stock has taken a big hit with the addition of Coleman.


Trey Benson vs. Jaleel McLaughlin

Still trying to decide between Benson and McLaughlin? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Trey Benson is projected to score 0.7 points this week while Jaleel McLaughlin is projected to score 0.8 points.