Chase Edmonds and the Arizona Cardinals play on Monday Night Football against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 14, creating potential headaches for fantasy football managers. Edmonds has been designated to return from IR, but will he make it back this week? Let’s break down how fantasy managers should approach his and James Conner’s situation.
Update 12/13/2021: The Arizona Cardinals did not activate Chase Edmonds prior to Monday Night Football.
James Conner has been terrific
I think it’s safe to say that no running back this year has been more of a pleasant surprise than Conner, who is the RB7 on the season in half-PPR scoring. Conner has posted double-digit fantasy points in all but one game since Week 3.
While Edmonds has been out since Week 9, Conner has seen a major uptick in his receiving work as well, which was almost exclusively reserved for Edmonds early in the season. Conner saw a total of 5 targets in the first eight weeks, but he’s seen 17 over the last four games alone.
He’s performed incredibly well with his opportunities, just as he did when he was with the Steelers. He’s caught 15 of those 17 targets for 175 yards and 2 touchdowns.
The added receiving work has translated to Conner being the RB4 since Week 9. He’s been a rock-steady option, no matter who has been at quarterback for the Cardinals.
Chase Edmonds is a game-time decision
Here’s where it gets tricky. It’s been reported that Edmonds is going to be a game-time decision on Monday, meaning fantasy managers need to make their decisions on what to do with the running back on Sunday morning.
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For my money, I’m waiting another week on Edmonds in most situations. If you’re waiting to see if he’s going to be active, then you need a backup plan. The only backup plan at running back would be Sony Michel on the other side of the ball. With Michel filling in for Darrell Henderson Jr. (who was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list), he would be the preferred option with lead-back duties.
Chase Edmonds fantasy expectations
If Edmonds is able to play, he still has to deal with Conner being the lead back on this team. Edmonds’ primary upside is as a receiver, but there’s no guarantee that he immediately gets that workload back now. The Cardinals have seen that Conner is more than capable of contributing in that phase of the offense.
If Edmonds can play, and if he gets the receiving work that he was getting early in the year, then he would be an okay flex play. But I’m not comfortable taking the gamble that he will play or get his typical workload in his first game back from injury. I’m sitting Edmonds in favor of anyone that I can trust in Sunday’s slate of games, and I’m continuing to trust Conner as the RB1 that he’s been.
