Who Should I Start? Trey Benson or Quinshon Judkins

Wednesday, October 1, 2:19 PM

Arizona Cardinals running back Trey Benson (knee) is expected to miss four-to-six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his meniscus, another setback for a backfield already reeling from the season-ending loss of James Conner (foot). Benson had been working into a steady role with 29 carries for 160 yards and 13 receptions for 64 yards through four games, but his absence now opens the door for Emari Demercado to take on feature-back responsibilities. Demercado should be added in all fantasy formats as he projects to see the bulk of opportunities in both the running and passing game, especially with Arizona lacking proven depth behind him. While Benson showed flashes of efficiency early, his return timetable places him on injured reserve and makes him droppable unless you have an IR spot available.

Sunday, October 5, 1:31 PM

Cleveland Browns rookie running back Quinshon Judkins was his team's star of the show Sunday in a loss to Minnesota, compiling 128 total yards with a feature back's workload. The rookie from Ohio State drew 23 carries for 110 yards, caught one of two targets for another 18, and was by far his team's top choice out of the backfield. Judkins has now surpassed 90 total yards in all three games in which he played 50% of his team's snaps, which is a highly encouraging sign for managers who drafted him. With quarterback Dillon Gabriel earning a trial run as the starter, Cleveland is likely to continue riding two-tight end sets and its running game, making Judkins an excellent fantasy commodity going forward.