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Will Trey Benson start for the Arizona Cardinals when he returns? Kyle McCarthy breaks down the Week 10 Trey Benson return timeline and fantasy football outlook.
Arizona Cardinals running back Trey Benson (knee) has been sidelined since Week 4, and while he's made progress in his recovery, Benson did not participate in practice on Wednesday. Arizona has not yet opened his 21-day practice window to return from IR, which casts some doubt on his chances to suit up in Week 10.
The second-year back was primed to lead the Cardinals' backfield after veteran James Conner (foot) suffered a season-ending injury in Week 3, but the injury bug hit Benson as well, derailing his opportunity. Since then, the Arizona backfield has been a tricky one for fantasy managers to figure out.
So will Benson return to being the RB1 for the Cardinals when he's back on the field?
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Will Trey Benson Start For The Cardinals When He Returns?
Benson should slide back in as the team's RB1 when he is healthy, though it seems unlikely he will play in Week 10. The 2024 third-rounder, Benson, didn't see much work as a rookie, but he was expected to take on a bigger role in year two behind an aging Conner. The 23-year-old has the frame to handle a heavy workload as a bigger back at 6-foot, 220 pounds, yet still has the explosiveness and straight-line speed to create breakaway runs, running a 4.39 40-time at last year's NFL Combine.
Trey Benson is eligible to return from IR this week but Gannon did not make that sound likely:
"He's doing well. Take it day by day there. He's not gonna be out there today but he is doing better. What does close mean? I don't know what close means. Take it day by day."
— Theo Mackie (@theo_mackie) November 5, 2025
After Conner's injury, the hype on Benson reached its peak, as he was ready to emerge as Arizona's RB1 of the future. The coaching staff and his teammates expressed great confidence in the second-year back out of Florida State, but we got one real look at him in a featured role, and the results were a bit underwhelming.
“The more he plays, the more comfortable you see him get.”
Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon is fully confident in RB Trey Benson taking on a bigger workload with James Conner out for the year. pic.twitter.com/KFDBP5XvwX
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) September 22, 2025
In Week 4 against the Seattle Seahawks, Benson recorded eight carries for 35 yards and added five catches (five targets) for 19 yards as a receiver. Benson played 53.1% of snaps, handled 47.1% of the team's rushing attempts, and ran 41.2% of routes. All were the highest on the team for that week, but Emari Demercado was more involved than expected as a change of pace option, playing 40.6% of the snaps, but he also only earned four opportunities, compared to Benson's 13.
Trey Benson Fantasy Football Outlook
Benson could be eased back into action when he eventually returns, and Arizona has shown that they will keep other backs involved. Head coach Jonathan Gannon said that Benson is "progressing" in his recovery, but it's still to be determined when he will be able to return.
In the meantime, Demercado and Bam Knight will likely continue to split touches, perhaps with more of a lean to the hot hand with Demercado after his 79-yard outing on Monday night against the Cowboys, the second-highest mark of his three-year career. Once Benson is able to return, he'll slot back in as a solid RB2 for fantasy purposes and will likely have more opportunities to catch passes with a less mobile Jacoby Brissett now starting for the Cardinals at quarterback.
Trey Benson goes 29 yards!
AZvsSF on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/mf8qW3fFmt
— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2025
Brissett has provided Arizona with a spark offensively, leading to their most efficient performances of the season in his starts. That should benefit Benson, who should project for more high-value touches as the team's lead back when healthy, making him a prime stash candidate in all fantasy formats.
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Popular Week 10 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 10 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Kimani Vidal, Kyle Monangai, Quentin Johnston, Alec Pierce, Parker Washington compared to others:
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