The Cardinals are headed to Indianapolis in Week 6 to face the surging Colts. They’ve had some serious turnover in their backfield in the last few weeks, and now Michael Carter, Emari Demercado and Bam Knight are available as options for the Cardinals. In their matchup this week, should any of them be in your season-long or DFS fantasy football lineups?
Let’s take a look at Arizona’s backfield and break down the upside and the risk in the available options for fantasy both short and long term.
How we got here
In week 3, Arizona lost veteran running back James Conner for the season with a foot injury. Before his injury, he was rotating with second-year running back Trey Benson, who was expected to take over as the primary back.
That was short-lived, though, since Benson sustained a knee injury in his first game without Conner and ultimately needed arthroscopic surgery on his meniscus, which will keep him sidelined for four to six weeks, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
With Conner and Benson out with long-term injuries, the Cardinals were forced to dig deep into their organizational depth. Demercado was already on the active roster, but he’s viewed as more of a specialist than a potential every-down contributor. They signed Carter from their practice squad, and he moved right into the starting role.
Finding Carter
After playing just four snaps in Week 4, Carter handled a starter’s workload in Week 5. He totaled 51 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries and added an impressive five catches on five targets for 22 more yards.
He played 58% of snaps and got the majority of catches and carries. After his strong performance, he was listed as the RB1 on the Arizona Cardinals’ latest unofficial depth chart.
After his strong performance, he was listed as the RB1 on the Arizona Cardinals’ latest unofficial depth chart.
Carter’s per-carry average wasn’t amazing, and he doesn’t have as much big-play ability as Demercado, but he’s a steady contributor who the Cardinals trust near the goal line. His five catches were also very encouraging for his value going forward. He got 23 total touches against the Titans, while the rest of the running backs only had eight total touches. He should maintain his workload in Week 6, especially since Demercado’s day didn’t end well.
The Demercado Disaster
Demercado only got three carries and no targets. One of those carries, though, was incredibly important. The third-year back broke free for what would have been a huge, game-sealing, 72-yard touchdown. However, just steps from the goal line, he let go of the ball.
He played 28% of snaps and was in for pass protection on most third downs, but his three carries and now his fumbling issues could cost him opportunities. In Week 6, he’ll be seeking redemption as he and the Cardinals visit the Colts.
The Bottom Line
The Colts have been pretty solid this season against the run, allowing the fifth-fewest points to the position. I listed Carter as my No. 30 RB in my top 30 RB Rankings. Even in the tough matchup, he’s an RB3 with RB2 upside. Demercado is a long-shot flier play in a flex spot in deep leagues. It would be a cool story if he bounced back, but it is uncertain how much of a chance he’ll get.
The Cards are on Sunday’s main DFS slate, headlined by this week’s NFL $2.75M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st] on DraftKings. Carter has a salary of $5,300 and could be a strong value play if he works as an RB1 again and gets goal-line work. Demercado has a $4,800 salary and is a flier play with upside, but of the two, Carter is definitely the stronger play since he’ll likely carry the workload once again.
