The Arizona Cardinals spent an early third-round pick on running back Trey Benson. He will open the season behind the team’s clear RB1 James Conner but has a chance to make a quick impact. Should fantasy football managers be looking at Benson in fantasy drafts?
Should You Select Trey Benson at His Current ADP?
PPR Industry Consensus ADP: 115th Overall (RB38)
- Potential to Disrupt James Conner: Trey Benson may not immediately unseat James Conner, but he presents a significant threat to Conner’s workload. With Benson’s youth and speed, the Cardinals might look to him as the future of their backfield.
- RB2 with Upside: Benson is the clear RB2 behind Conner, but with Conner’s injury history and age, there’s a strong possibility Benson could see meaningful work, especially if Conner misses time.
- ADP Analysis: Benson is currently being drafted as RB38, No. 115 overall. While there’s upside to this pick, there are also established backs with clearer roles being drafted around him, which might make Benson a risky investment.
- Final Verdict: Benson’s potential makes him an intriguing option, but his current price may be too high given the uncertainties surrounding his role. Unless his ADP falls, fantasy managers might want to consider other options in the same range.
PFN Consensus PPR Fantasy Ranking for Trey Benson
Note that these rankings are the PFN Consensus Rankings and may not fully match my analysis. Since Benson is ranked outside the top 75 in the PFN Consensus Rankings, we’ve listed the consensus RB rankings instead.
33) Devin Singletary, RB | New York Giants
34) Gus Edwards, RB | Los Angeles Chargers
35) Tony Pollard, RB | Tennessee Titans
36) Nick Chubb, RB | Cleveland Browns
37) Austin Ekeler, RB | Washington Commanders
38) Trey Benson, RB | Arizona Cardinals
39) Chase Brown, RB | Cincinnati Bengals
40) Zach Charbonnet, RB | Seattle Seahawks
41) Jerome Ford, RB | Cleveland Browns
42) Blake Corum, RB | Los Angeles Rams
43) Chuba Hubbard, RB | Carolina Panthers
Trey Benson’s Fantasy Profile for the 2024 Fantasy Season
For the past three NFL seasons, Conner has been one of the best values in fantasy. Every season, without fail, fantasy managers — myself included — come up with reasons as to why Conner is going to fade. Every year, without fail, Conner delivers. In 2024, we find ourselves in the same spot once again.
With the value of hindsight, fading Conner the past two years has been unwise. While he’s not the most gifted player and has his injury concerns, Conner is a capable back, and his team hasn’t exactly added a serious threat to his volume. This year, the argument against Conner is the idea that Benson provides a serious threat.
Conner is now 29 years old. He’s not particularly fast or agile, and he’s missed at least four games in all but one season of his career. Meanwhile, Benson is 22 years old. He ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash time and scored 15 touchdowns in his final season at Florida State.
By no means is Benson this otherworldly prospect who will immediately vanquish Conner. However, he is better than anyone else the Cardinals have had behind Conner since signing him.
Benson has the talent to push for immediate work. He won’t unseat Conner right away, but Conner is in the final year of his contract. It is highly unlikely the Cardinals have any intention of re-signing him after the season. They want Benson to be the guy. That means if he shows signs this season, they likely won’t hesitate to give him more work.
Although there are reasons to believe Benson can be an impact fantasy back, the reality is that he will need something fortuitous to happen in his favor to make an impact as a rookie. In all likelihood, it will take a Conner injury.
Is Benson a Good Value in Fantasy Drafts?
Benson projects to be more of a problem for Conner’s fantasy value than someone who will be productive on his own. Benson will likely flash, given his speed. However, earning enough volume to be fantasy-relevant while Conner is on the field seems unlikely.
The pitch for drafting Benson is that he’s one injury away from a starting role. On a barren Cardinals RB depth chart, Benson should be the RB2. It depends how much you believe reports that Emari Demercado is ahead of Benson on the depth chart.
Conner is almost certain to miss games. If Benson does see the majority of the work when Conner is sidelined, he will have a real chance to take the starting job if Conner is out.
If Benson was announced as the starter right now, his ADP would immediately jump into the top 24 if not the top 18. Based on that, his RB38 price tag (No. 115 overall) looks reasonable.
Upon further glance, though, Benson is going ahead of some far more established backs. There are guys with clearly defined roles, including legitimate starters, going behind him.
As much as I preach chasing the upside, it’s not all about the pure best-case scenario. The likelihood of it happening matters too.
Fantasy football is a game of probabilities. What is most likely to happen? In this instance, the most likely scenario is Benson operates as the RB2 behind Conner, gets a few starts during the season, and does enough to be more of a problem for Conner’s fantasy value than to bolster his own.
I like investing in rookies, but Benson is a bit too expensive given his projected role. I have him as my RB46. Unless his ADP falls, it’s hard to recommend drafting him.