The Arizona Cardinals impressed in their season opener, going into Nashville and crushing the Tennessee Titans by a score of 38-13. Arizona got a strong defensive performance a very productive day from quarterback Kyler Murray. The QB threw for 289 yards with four touchdowns and an interception and added 20 yards and a score on the ground.
In the backfield, they got strong work from Chase Edmonds and the proverbial workmanlike effort from James Conner. Edmonds had 12 rushes for 63 yards to go along with 43 receiving yards on four catches while Conner had 16 rushes for 53 yards. The backfield was split pretty evenly in snaps, with Edmonds getting 40 and Conner getting 34.
Fantasy Football analysis: Cardinals RBs Chase Edmonds, James Conner
The Cardinals went with a heavy split throughout the game. Edmonds was the more effective back, but Conner got extensive work throughout the day. This appears to be a true committee approach, and considering the dominance in Week 1, it seems unlikely to change when the Cardinals welcome the Minnesota Vikings to Glendale.
It might work for Arizona, but it creates headaches for our fantasy rosters. If you drafted Edmonds, there is a particular frustration knowing that he is once again losing work to an inferior back. He remains a worthwhile fantasy play, but his upside is limited as long as Conner is getting comparable work.
Fantasy Start/Sit Recommendation
Chase Edmonds remains a solid start, but his upside is capped at RB2 for the time being. James Conner is a flex option in larger standard leagues thanks to his volume work, but in a 12-team re-draft league, you’re probably going to want to sit him this week and generally outside of bye weeks.