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Will Trey Benson still be the starter when he returns? John looks at the latest Trey Benson injury return timeline and fantasy outlooks for the Cardinals RBs.
Arizona Cardinals running back Trey Benson (knee) finally returned to practice on Wednesday ahead of Week 12. He's missed every game since Week 4 due to the injury he suffered in that game.
We've seen a healthy dose of three running backs in Benson's absence -- Bam Knight, Michael Carter, and Emari Demercado (ankle), to varying degrees of success.
Benson started the year as a backup, and after so much time out, it's worth asking if he'll remain the RB1 for the Cardinals moving forward. So will Benson be the starter when he returns?
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Will Trey Benson Start For The Cardinals When He Returns?
It seems like he will be. It's hard to imagine Knight or Carter taking over the starting job. When Knight has played, he's been forced into a committee backfield with both Demercado and Carter. Demercado has mostly served as the pass-catching back.
But he's slated to miss at least a few games due to a high-ankle sprain he suffered in Week 11, meaning that Knight and Carter are the only two active and healthy running backs right now. If Benson returns any time in the next three weeks, he'll have even less competition for touches.
Your first look at Cardinals RB Trey Benson back at practice… pic.twitter.com/2npW7Gu5db
— Josh Weinfuss (@joshweinfuss) November 19, 2025
Benson is back at practice in a limited capacity, as he had his 21-day practice window finally opened. But many players on injured reserve don't return in their first week back with the window open -- instead, we often see them being held out for one or two more weeks.
Still, it probably doesn't matter. Demercado will be the passing down back when healthy, Benson will probably take the vast majority of the rushing and early down work when he's back, as he did in Week 4, and not much should change.
Trey Benson Fantasy Football Outlook
Benson has added upside if he comes back within the next two weeks, because he'll likely get more passing down work now that Demercado is out. But even when he returns, Benson should have a nice role that's conducive to being a startable fantasy running back.
He handled all the rushes for Arizona before his knee injury in Week 4, and was targeted five times by quarterback Kyler Murray (foot). It's not clear whether new starting QB Jacoby Brissett will be as willing to check it down to him, though.
The Arizona Cardinals are opening RB Trey Benson’s 21-day practice window @phnx_cardinals pic.twitter.com/wvrCwTFaxf
— Bo Brack (@BoBrack) November 19, 2025
Obviously, his overall fantasy outlook depends on when he actually comes back. Players returning from major injuries often have "decoy" games in their first week, where they're active and removed from the injury report before the game but not heavily involved on offense.
If you managed San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, or their tight end George Kittle, you're familiar with this concept. They both scored exactly zero fantasy points in their first games back from injury. It's a bit harder to use an RB as a decoy, because if they're on the field, they mostly are getting the ball on run plays.
That is to say, it's easier to just not target a receiver much and still have him on the field. That said, while Benson could see less work, we'd at least know that as the game wears on. The Cardinals have been pretty secretive about his injuries, and it seems unlikely they'll divulge his workload ahead of time.
That said, once he's back to full health, he should be a mid-range RB2 for now. The Cardinals offense isn't particularly explosive, but they at least are competent in garbage time with Brissett, and have a better chance of being competitive otherwise. Benson should be started as a flex in his first game back and RB2 afterwards.
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Popular Week 12 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
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