As I assessed the week-over-week changes for Bam Knight, Michael Carter, Emari Demercado, and Trey Benson for the umpteenth time this season, I couldn’t help but ask myself how futile this exercise has become.
Let’s recap the Cardinals’ backfield.
James Conner started the year as an RB2. Trey Benson was an injury-away RB4. A season-ending injury to Conner fired Benson into the RB2 discussion for two weeks before he inevitably landed on IR. Emari Demercado made his debut in these rankings as the injury-away back to stash. The week after Benson plummeted due to his injury, Michael Carter made his appearance as Benson’s potential fill-in. The next week, Demercado fumbled away any steam he was garnering, and Carter jumped. When Bam Knight surprisingly led the backfield in touches the following week, he made his debut in the rankings, and Carter fell. All this time, Benson’s looming return kept him steadily creeping up the rankings. Going into Week 11, Benson’s return seemed imminent, and he moved back up into the RB3 tier. That obviously pushed down the rest of the Cardinals' running backs, as their time to shine was waning. Then, Benson’s 21-day window didn’t open. Knight and Carter were back up the rankings. Benson returned to practice and moved up the next week. The week after, his practice participation was downgraded, he missed two days of practice, and was declared out. Going into this week, we have no clearer answer on Benson’s return than we did three weeks ago.
Herein lies the frustration. We don’t have much time to wait for these situations to pan out.
Will Benson return this week? If he does, how will he look after two months off? If he is sluggish, will that linger into Week 15? Can we trust him then? And if he doesn’t play this week? Well, then the team has to activate him by Wednesday or his season ends. And what if he is activated? Can we trust him in Week 15 lineups without any ramp-up, or do we just keep him stashed until Week 16?
Risk aside, we must also assess the upside.
Benson is a Day 2 pick with workhorse size and 98th percentile speed. The Cardinals seemingly spent an early pick on him to be James Conner’s heir apparent. He was buried behind Conner last year, getting almost no work as a rookie. When his opportunity arose in Year 2, he was quickly injured. The Cardinals signed Conner to a new contract a few years back, and they built in a team-friendly out following this 2025 season. Conner is coming off a season-ending injury heading into his age-31 season, and the team can save $8 million by releasing him this offseason. They probably want to test drive their young running back before making a costly decision this offseason.
Remember, Benson’s return doesn’t just impact his value. It also affects Knight, Carter, and Demercado.
So far, we’ve only looked at one positional group on one team! Rinse and repeat across four positions and 31 more teams.
And the ripple effects don’t stop at running back. What about the Cardinals’ quarterback situation? Has Kyler Murray taken his last snap in Arizona? Will they want to showcase a healthy Murray late in the season for a potential trade? Jacoby Brissett’s value hinges entirely on Murray’s availability. If Brissett were guaranteed the starting job through the end of the season, he’d be a plug-and-play QB1. However, we can’t put all of our eggs in the Brissett basket in case he loses his job during the most pivotal weeks of the fantasy season.
As for Brissett, he’s made a major impact on the pass-catchers in Arizona. Trey McBride averaged 9.6 fantasy points per game with Murray, ninth among tight ends. With Brissett, his 19.0 points per game give him a 5.1-point advantage over the next-closest tight end and 10 points more than the average streamer. He’s been the biggest cheat code in fantasy football with Brissett under center.
Marvin Harrison Jr.’s splits with Brissett and Murray have been similar, albeit less extreme. And their WR2, Michael Wilson? How do we project him over the next four weeks? In two games without Harrison, Wilson caught 25 of 33 targets for 303 yards. With Harrison, he hasn’t been remotely startable. Harrison picked up a heel injury and might miss a week. He might not. But his availability massively changes Wilson’s season-long projection.
All of these uncertainties make it feel as if these rankings are done in vain. Early in the season, we can expect variance to smooth out any small bumps: minor injuries, bye weeks, quarterback changes, schedule difficulty, etc. But there’s only a week left in the fantasy regular season, and then the playoffs are here. Four games.
A missed game from here on out is a quarter of a player’s value. A missed game followed by a dud week during a ramp-up could result in a Round 1 playoff exit.
The focus in this article has been on the Cardinals, but we have to make educated guesses to fill in information gaps constantly in fantasy football. And it isn’t always a black-and-white answer. Often, your team’s situation shapes how you view an individual player.
Is Jayden Daniels going to play again this year? I don’t know. You don’t know. I’m not even sure Daniels knows right now. But if you’re heading into the fantasy playoffs, shuffling through a quarterback room of back-end streamers, pick up Daniels. Few available quarterbacks have similar upside. If you have Patrick Mahomes II or Josh Allen, there’s no reason to spend that bench spot on another quarterback.
Do you have a strong team with a weakness at the end of your wide receiver room? Jayden Reed, Adonai Mitchell, and Mike Evans are guys to stash. There might be guys ahead of them in these rest-of-season rankings, but target the guys who are rising quickly and have league-winning upside.
Does your team have shaky running back depth? Jordan Mason, Keaton Mitchell, and Jaleel McLaughlin are risers with contingent upside you should target.
A set of linear rankings is difficult to generate this late in the season. Every team is in a unique situation, looking to fortify certain weaknesses, and in different spots on the projected playoffs bracket.
Use these rankings with a touch of common sense as we approach the fantasy playoffs.
As always, please check out Bob Henry’s projections for a different opinion on these players. Bob’s projections are updated throughout the week and fully customizable to your league’s settings.
Below is every fantasy-relevant player ranked by rest-of-season value. Movers from last week’s rankings will be noted with a “+” or “-” and new additions will have “New” next to their name.
Movements get more dramatic as the season shortens, and there’s a lot to cover. There were a ton of significant shakeups among the wide receivers this week. Let’s start there.
Wide Receivers
As we approach the end of the season, these rankings will start to resemble weekly rankings closely. Short-term workloads, schedules, and injuries weigh more with a smaller remaining sample. Players in situations garnering targets will matter much more than any pre-draft convictions.
- WR1 - Jaxon Smith-Njigba
- WR2 - Ja'Marr Chase
- WR3 - Rashee Rice (+2)
- WR4 - Puka Nacua (-1)
- WR5 - CeeDee Lamb (+1)
- WR6 - Davante Adams (+1)
- WR7 - George Pickens (+1)
- WR8 - Nico Collins (+1)
- WR9 - Tetairoa McMillan (+1)
- WR10 - Jaylen Waddle (+1)
- WR11 - Chris Olave (+1)
- WR12 - Jameson Williams (+10) - Williams is averaging 13.2 half-PPR points per game since Week 6, which ranks 13th among all receivers. The wild part is that he has two zero-point performances in that span. In Week 13, Amon-Ra St. Brown left early with an ankle injury, and Williams responded by setting season highs in targets (10), receptions (seven), and yards (144) while scoring his sixth touchdown of the year. He worked as the team’s possession receiver, catching shorter throws than usual. His average target depth of 8.2 yards was well below his season rate of 13.1. He also posted his second-highest yards after the catch per reception of the season, showing he can function in the role typically filled by St. Brown. If Williams continues to see this type of usage while St. Brown is out, he will be a plug-and-play WR1.
- WR13 - Emeka Egbuka
- WR14 - A.J. Brown (+4) - After a couple of rocky weeks to start the season, Brown has settled back into form. He is averaging 14.2 half-PPR points per game since Week 3, the eighth-highest mark among all receivers. The nature of the Eagles' offense can lead to inconsistent production, which is frustrating, but the boom weeks have been frequent. Brown has recorded four games with 100 or more yards and a touchdown. And his 132-yard, two-touchdown outing in Week 13 was his best of the season. His weekly volatility might not give you the warm and fuzzy feeling you want from a typical WR1, but he firmly remains one and needs to stay in your lineup.
- WR15 - Amon-Ra St. Brown (-11) - It would be foolish to question St. Brown’s toughness, as he has played through plenty of difficult injuries throughout his career. Because there is no reported structural damage with this ankle sprain, it would not be surprising if he tries to play through it. It also would not be surprising if he needs more than a game off. Dan Campbell said it is not “long, long-term,” but that “it could be a week or two” until St. Brown is back. When he does return, there could be some limitations to his usage. Injuries this late in the season are tricky and should typically be treated with caution. With just one week left until the fantasy playoffs, St. Brown’s injury comes at a frustrating time for managers.
- WR16 - Ladd McConkey (-2)
- WR17 - Justin Jefferson
- WR18 - Zay Flowers (-3)
- WR19 - Rome Odunze (-3)
- WR20 - DeVonta Smith (+1)
- WR21 - Michael Pittman Jr. (-2)
- WR22 - Drake London (+1)
- WR23 - Brian Thomas Jr. (+2)
- WR24 - Stefon Diggs
- WR25 - Terry McLaurin (+18) - In his first game back from an extended absence, McLaurin immediately returned to form as the team’s top wide receiver. He was limited to just 51% of the team’s snaps but led the team with 14 targets. That snap share should go up. On the season, McLaurin is averaging 0.25 targets per route run, ranking 19th among all receivers. It has been a tough year for McLaurin drafters, as he has already missed seven games due to injury. His performance in this game should provide some confidence about putting him in lineups as the fantasy playoffs approach. He is back in the discussion as a weekly WR2.
- WR26 - Christian Watson (+14) - Despite missing the start of the season while recovering from a torn ACL, Watson is quietly breaking out in a big way. Before this year, he was never a high-volume player, averaging just 4.5 targets per game. After some limitations in his first games back, Watson has drawn 7.3 targets per game over his last three contests and has averaged a score per game in that span. For the full season, his 60.5 receiving yards per game are easily the best of his career. A second-round pick in 2022 with game-breaking athleticism, Watson could explode in fantasy if this expanded role continues.
- WR27 - Marvin Harrison Jr. (-7) - Harrison exited Week 13's game with a heel injury. It's unclear whether he will be ready for Week 14 at the moment. Any missed games this late in the season carry significant weight. If Harrison is to miss any time, Michael Wilson would become a plug-and-play WR2.
- WR28 - Jauan Jennings (-1)
- WR29 - Tee Higgins
- WR30 - Deebo Samuel Sr. (-4)
- WR31 - Wan'Dale Robinson (-1)
- WR32 - DK Metcalf (-4)
- WR33 - Jakobi Meyers (+8) - With Brian Thomas Jr. recovered from his ankle sprain, Meyers may see his workload scale back in the coming weeks. However, the two receivers have very complementary skill sets. Thomas’s role as a downfield threat opens up opportunities for Meyers to work across the middle of the field, where he can create after the catch. Last year in Liam Coen’s offense, Chris Godwin Jr. operated in a similar capacity to what Meyers is doing now and delivered strong production. Meyers has only been with the Jaguars for four weeks, but he is quickly improving and expanding his role. He can be relied on as a WR3 in fantasy lineups.
- WR34 - Courtland Sutton
- WR35 - Quentin Johnston (-3)
- WR36 - Alec Pierce (+2)
- WR37 - Keenan Allen (-2)
- WR38 - Chris Godwin Jr. (+7) - I have been patiently waiting to see signs of life from Godwin before moving him up the rankings. Coming into this game, the veteran receiver was averaging a career-worst 20.3 receiving yards per game. In Week 13, he caught three of his five targets for 78 yards. Frankly, his day was not great. He dropped an easy touchdown and missed another easy catch later in the game. Still, the Buccaneers need someone to step up alongside Emeka Egbuka, and Godwin remains the most likely candidate. If he can put together another solid performance in Week 14, it would provide much-needed confidence heading into the fantasy playoffs.
- WR39 - Troy Franklin (-8) - Trusting Sean Payton is often a fool’s errand. Franklin seemed to be emerging as the team’s primary receiver, and there were plenty of reasons to trust him in Week 13 fantasy lineups. However, in that game, he fell behind Courtland Sutton, Pat Bryant, and even Evan Engram in routes run and targets. His three targets were the fewest he has recorded in a single game all season, and his 21 receiving yards were the lowest since Week 7. Teams often reanalyze usage during the bye, and Franklin may have received the short end of the stick in that shuffle. Just as it felt like there was some security in starting him each week, he has suddenly become a shaky option heading into Week 14.
- WR40 - Xavier Worthy (-3)
- WR41 - Khalil Shakir (-5)
- WR42 - DJ Moore (-3)
- WR43 - Luther Burden III (+1)
- WR44 - Jayden Reed (+27) - A dual surgery to repair a broken collarbone and a Jones fracture was expected to sideline Reed until the end of the season, but he returned to practice last week. Once activated, Reed should slot in as an immediate WR3 in weekly rankings. His production has always been a bit boom-or-bust, and he relies on working from the slot, where he can get manufactured touches and free releases. Still, he posted 45 yards and a touchdown in his only full game this year, and he was injured on a near-catch in the end zone the following week. With Matthew Golden still struggling to find his footing as a rookie, Reed is a top waiver pickup in any league where he is available.
- WR45 - Adonai Mitchell (+24) - Plenty of draftniks had high hopes for Mitchell. He was a dominant force at Texas and became the star of the Combine after his final season. His Relative Athletic Score of 9.99 ranks sixth among 3,402 drafted wide receivers since 1987. He is an on-paper prototype, a blend of size, speed, explosiveness, and strength. It just has not translated to production in the pros. In Indianapolis, he was buried behind Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce, and Josh Downs. He even dropped what should have been a long touchdown earlier in the year, and four weeks later, he was traded to New York in the Sauce Gardner deal. Since joining the Jets, he has operated as their clear WR1. He has caught 11 of 25 targets for 154 yards and his first NFL touchdown. With the season already lost and Garrett Wilson on IR, the Jets may spend the final weeks exploring what they have in Mitchell. His big-play ability, combined with a nothing-to-lose mentality from the team, gives him tantalizing upside.
- WR46 - Michael Wilson (+8) - Upon Marvin Harrison Jr.’s return from an appendectomy, Wilson and Harrison each saw seven targets. While that is nowhere near the 16.5 targets Wilson averaged during Harrison’s absence, it is encouraging to see that the duo can coexist. The Cardinals are averaging a whopping 43.1 pass attempts per game with Jacoby Brissett. Even if Wilson’s target share dips slightly with Harrison back, the overall volume should keep him in the weekly flex conversation. However, Harrison left the game late with a heel injury and did not return. If Harrison had to miss any time, we just witnessed the upside over the previous two weeks.
- WR47 - Ricky Pearsall (-14) - We are a long way removed from the excitement around Pearsall’s early-season production. A PCL sprain sidelined him for six weeks. In the four games before the injury, he averaged 81.8 receiving yards per game. In the three games since returning, he has averaged just 6.7. There is still hope that his role can grow, but with only a few weeks left in the fantasy regular season, he would need to show something quickly before he can be trusted in lineups.
- WR48 - Rashid Shaheed (-6)
- WR49 - Tre Tucker (-3)
- WR50 - Romeo Doubs (-1)
- WR51 - Josh Downs (+2)
- WR52 - Jordan Addison (-4)
- WR53 - Cooper Kupp (-2)
- WR54 - Jerry Jeudy (-2)
- WR55 - Jayden Higgins (+5)
- WR56 - Tez Johnson (-9)
- WR57 - Chimere Dike (-2)
- WR58 - Christian Kirk (-2)
- WR59 - Kayshon Boutte
- WR60 - Elic Ayomanor (-3)
- WR61 - Pat Bryant (+14) - In Week 11, Bryant had the biggest game of his rookie season, catching five of six targets for 82 yards. After the bye, the Broncos came out in Week 13 and treated Bryant as their secondary receiver. His seven targets were the most of his young career, but the most notable factor was that he ran more routes than Troy Franklin. With just one week left in the fantasy regular season, Bryant would need another game with strong usage before being trusted in playoff lineups. Still, he is quickly inching his way into a fantasy-relevant role.
- WR62 - Parker Washington (-12) - Washington left Week 13’s game early with a hip injury. Jakobi Meyers is fully up to speed in the Jaguars' offense now. Brian Thomas Jr., although limited in his return, is back from his ankle sprain. Even if Washington can suit up next week, his usage as a fantasy streamer might have ended.
- WR63 - John Metchie III (+7)
- WR64 - Darnell Mooney (-6)
- WR65 - Marquise Brown (-3)
- WR66 - Jalen Coker (+6)
- WR67 - Devaughn Vele (+17) - I wrote about Vele as a big riser a few weeks ago, noting, “A complete afterthought in New Orleans this year, Vele may see a newfound opportunity with Rashid Shaheed traded to Seattle.” Since then, he has been a full-time player and has run plenty of routes, though it has not translated to much production. That changed in Week 13. He drew eight targets, caught all of them, and posted a career-best 93 yards and a touchdown. The Saints made a notable investment in Vele this offseason, trading a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick to acquire him. With Tyler Shough showing some improvement in recent weeks, Vele has some potential usefulness in deep leagues.
- WR68 - Tre' Harris (-3)
- WR69 - DeMario Douglas (-2)
- WR70 - KaVontae Turpin (+8)
- WR71 - Tyler Lockett (-10)
- WR72 - Garrett Wilson (-9)
- WR73 - Rashod Bateman (-9)
- WR74 - Mike Evans (+46) - There are rumblings that Evans may return from his broken collarbone in the next few weeks, potentially returning to practice as early as this week. He’s only worth a stash in deep leagues with an IR spot. If activated, though, he’d make for a WR2 in fantasy lineups.
- WR75 - Greg Dortch (+2)
- WR76 - Cedric Tillman (-10)
- WR77 - Dontayvion Wicks (+12)
- WR78 - Matthew Golden (-10)
- WR79 - Xavier Legette (-6)
- WR80 - Mack Hollins (-6)
- WR81 - Van Jefferson (-1)
- WR82 - Malik Washington (-6)
- WR83 - Kyle Williams (+9)
- WR84 - Isaac TeSlaa (+50) - When Amon-Ra St. Brown exited Week 13's game, TeSlaa was quickly awarded with the most voluminous role of his rookie season. His 30 routes run bested the season-high 23 he ran the week before. His 35 receiving yards were also the best of his young career, and he caught his third touchdown. TeSlaa is a fun, athletic rookie who has put some good things on tape this year. If St. Brown misses time, he might make for a sneaky flex in deep leagues.
- WR85 - Darius Slayton (+1)
- WR86 - Roman Wilson (-7)
- WR87 - Andrei Iosivas (-4)
- WR88 - Keon Coleman (-3)
- WR89 - Calvin Austin III (-7)
- WR90 - Mason Tipton (+26) - Tipton was second in routes run in Week 13 behind only Chris Olave. He's consistently been the third option behind Olave and Devaughn Vele. We're still a ways away from trusting him in any fantasy lineups, but the second-receiver receiver has found himself a steady role in New Orleans.
- WR91 - David Sills V
- WR92 - Tyquan Thornton (11)
- WR93 - Olamide Zaccheaus (-7)
- WR94 - Jaylin Noel (-4)
- WR95 - Tyrell Shavers (-2)
- WR96 - JuJu Smith-Schuster (-2)
- WR97 - Mitchell Tinsley (+11)
- WR98 - Treylon Burks (+30) - A former first-round pick with eye-popping athleticism, Burks' biggest issue in his young career has been health. He was recently released by the Titans, the team that drafted him, and signed with the Commanders. He made a spectacular one-handed touchdown grab on Sunday night in Week 13. He's worth monitoring, especially in dynasty leagues.
- WR99 - Isaiah Bond (+1)
- WR100 - Jalen Nailor (-11)
- WR101 - Xavier Hutchinson (+3)
- WR102 - Jordan Whittington (-6)
- WR103 - Joshua Palmer (-5)
- WR104 - Marvin Mims Jr. (-5)
- WR105 - Sterling Shepard (-8)
- WR106 - Isaiah Williams (-5)
- WR107 - Jalen Tolbert (-4)
- WR108 - Jack Bech (+5)
- WR109 - Jalen McMillan (+43)
- WR110 - Xavier Restrepo (+1)
- WR111 - Kalif Raymond (+14)
- WR112 - Jalin Hyatt (-10)
- WR113 - Brandon Aiyuk (-18)
- WR114 - Dyami Brown (-9)
- WR115 - Jahan Dotson (-9)
- WR116 - Isaiah Hodgins (-9)
- WR117 - Demarcus Robinson (-8)
- WR118 - Tim Patrick (-8)
- WR119 - Kendrick Bourne (-7)
- WR120 - Gabe Davis (-6)
- WR121 - DeAndre Hopkins (+3)
- WR122 - Noah Brown (-5)
- WR123 - Curtis Samuel (-5)
- WR124 - Xavier Weaver (-5)
- WR125 - Tom Kennedy (New)
- WR126 - Dont'e Thornton Jr. (-5)
- WR127 - Elijah Moore (-5)
- WR128 - Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (-5)
- WR129 - Adam Thielen (+12)
- WR130 - KhaDarel Hodge (-4)
- WR131 - Isaiah Williams (-30)
- WR132 - Brandin Cooks (-5)
- WR133 - Konata Mumpfield (-4)
- WR134 - Arian Smith (-4)
- WR135 - Chris Moore (-4)
- WR136 - Savion Williams (-21)
- WR137 - Tory Horton (-5)
- WR138 - Jimmy Horn Jr. (-2)
- WR139 - Xavier Smith (-6)
- WR140 - Ray-Ray McCloud III (-5)
- WR141 - Tutu Atwell (-4)
- WR142 - Allen Lazard (New)
- WR143 - Ryan Flournoy (-5)
- WR144 - Jaylin Lane (-5)
- WR145 - Tylan Wallace (+1)
- WR146 - Devontez Walker (-6)
- WR147 - James Proche II (-5)
- WR148 - Malik Heath (-5)
- WR149 - Darius Cooper (-5)
- WR150 - Dylan Drummond (-5)
- WR151 - Josh Reynolds (-3)
- WR152 - Robbie Chosen (-5)
- WR153 - Tyler Johnson (-4)
- WR154 - Kameron Johnson (-4)
- WR155 - Jamari Thrash (-4)
- WR156 - Luke McCaffrey (-3)
- WR157 - Hunter Renfrow (-3)