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Is Trey Benson out for the season? When is Trey Benson coming back? The latest Trey Benson injury update and fantasy football outlook heading into Week 12 of 2025.
The Arizona Cardinals’ rushing attack took a severe hit when top tailback James Conner suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 3. Little did they know that was not the only major injury a major player in their backfield would suffer this season.
Second-year man Trey Benson was one of the highest-rated backup running backs on fantasy football cheat sheets heading into the 2025 campaign. When Conner went down with his injury, most fantasy players and pundits thought Benson would step in and have the opportunity to become a fantasy force.
Benson was averaging 5.5 yards per carry and was the starting tailback for Arizona in Week 4, but his fantasy value quickly took a nose dive when he tore a meniscus in his knee and was placed on injured reserve. He has missed the Cardinals’ last six games. Is Benson going to miss the remainder of the season? Here is the latest:
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Is Trey Benson Out for the 2025 Season?
It has never been indicated by anyone affiliated with Arizona that Benson will not play again this year, and now there now appears to be proof that we have not heard the last of Benson for 2025. Arizona head coach Jonathan Gannon announced that the team has opened the 21-day practice window for their young running back, and he had his first practice back today.
RB Trey Benson (knee) in his first practice back
Didn’t see the following:
OL Kelvin Beachum (groin)
OL Jonah Williams (shoulder)
OL Will Hernandez (knee)
CB Will Johnson (hip/back)
RB Emari Demercado (ankle)
S Rabbit Taylor-Demerson (ankle)
OLB Baron Browning (concussion) pic.twitter.com/P3Y1E499oS— Dani Sureck (@DaniSureck) November 19, 2025
This means Benson has to play within the next three weeks or be shelved for the season, but he can be activated as soon as this week if he is healthy enough to suit up. The Cardinals have been coy with his whereabouts and availability since he was injured, so fantasy managers might have to be diligent about finding the information about Benson’s status this week.
Arizona could use Benson ASAP if he can practice fully and be 100 percent by Sunday. Reserve running back Emari Demercado hurt his ankle last week against San Francisco and will not play this weekend, and WR1 Marvin Harrison Jr. will miss another game due to his appendix surgery.
Cardinals already have ruled out WR Marvin Harrison Jr. and RB Emari Demercado for Sunday’s game vs. the Jaguars.
They also opened the 21-day practice window for RB Trey Benson.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 19, 2025
Trey Benson 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook
Benson has the burst Arizona has been lacking out of their backs since Conner went down. He can break big gainers either between the tackles or around the end. Benson is a huge step up from the runners the Cardinals have been putting behind quarterback Jacoby Brissett in the backfield.
While Brissett has had a career resurgence (five straight starts with two touchdown passes and at least 258 passing yards), the Cardinals have fallen to 24th in rushing offense in the NFL. They need Benson to boost the rushing attack. Now that the practice window has opened, he should be back in the coming weeks, if not this week.
If you roster Benson, keep holding onto him. He could become a RB2, RB3 or flex option depending on your league’s lineup rules and valuable member of your fantasy squad down the stretch as you battle to make the playoffs. He will undoubtedly be the bellcow back of the Cardinals once he returns.
If Benson does not step onto a field again in 2025, then obviously his fantasy value in standard leagues is zero and he should be immediately dropped as soon as that season-ending news hits the wires.
That does not mean a shortened season destroys Benson’s fantasy value in dynasty and keeper leagues, though. If Conner does not return to the Cardinals in 2026, Benson is the odds-on favorite to be the team’s RB1. No one else in Arizona’s backfield rotation (Michael Carter, Bam Knight, Demercado) has established themselves while Conner and Benson have been out, so Benson would logically be the atop the totem pole heading into next season. He should be held onto in fantasy formats that allow to keep players on the roster for the following year.
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 12 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Jordan Addison, Sean Tucker, Kyle Monangai, Alec Pierce, Josh Downs, Wan'Dale Robinson. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 12. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 12 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
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Popular Week 12 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 12 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Jordan Addison, Sean Tucker, Kyle Monangai, Alec Pierce, Josh Downs, Wan'Dale Robinson compared to others:
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