Who Should I Start? Trey Benson or Tahj Brooks

Wednesday, December 10, 12:00 PM

Arizona Cardinals running back Trey Benson (knee) will not be activated off Injured Reserve for the team's Week 15 matchup against the Houston Texans, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Since Benson will not return within his 21-day activation window, he will revert to season-ending IR and will not be eligible to return in 2025. Benson suffered a knee injury in Week 4 that was serious enough to land him on IR, but was not thought at the time to be season-ending. It's unclear whether the 23-year-old suffered a setback once his activation window was opened, or if the 3-10 Cardinals are simply choosing to be cautious with their potential running back of the future. Either way, Benson should now be completely off the radar of redraft fantasy managers for the remainder of 2025. His absence ups the value of Cardinals running backs Bam Knight and Michael Carter, who should continue to see the majority of the team's backfield snaps. Emari Demercado (ankle) could play a role in Arizona as well once he returns from the ankle injury that has sidelined him since Week 11.

Wednesday, December 31, 12:58 AM

Cincinnati Bengals rookie running back Tahj Brooks has totalled just 45 yards on 16 carries to go with one catch for nine yards on two targets in 15 games this season. Brooks has been firmly entrenched as the Bengals' RB3 behind Chase Brown and Samaje Perine for his entire rookie campaign, relegating him mostly to special teams duties. The rookie sixth-rounder has cracked a double-digit snap share in just four games this season. However, seven of his 16 carries have come in the past two games, with the Bengals eliminated from playoff contention. With Brown posting big numbers in recent weeks and Perine continuing to be a reliable veteran on passing downs, it will be tough for Brooks to see many more opportunities in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Cleveland Browns.