Week 14 fantasy starts include Jordan Love, Jordan Mason, Darren Waller
USA TODAY Sports’ Joe Rivera and Jacob Camenker explain why starting these guys could be the smart fantasy move this week.
For the second week in a row, the Arizona Cardinals lost a game to a playoff contender by just three points.
Arizona played Tampa Bay close on the road and out-gained the Buccaneers on offense with 386 total yards to 279. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett found Trey McBride for a 15-yard touchdown to make it 20-17 with five minutes to go in the fourth quarter.
Brissett couldn’t complete a fourth-down pass to Michael Wilson in the final minute of the game and Arizona heads home after its fourth consecutive loss.
The Cardinals‘ offense has relied heavily on Brissett and the passing game in recent weeks. They’re averaging just 62 rushing yards per game over their last three matchups.
Some of that has to do with game situation – Arizona faced a big deficit early in Week 11 against San Francisco – but some of that has to do with injury as well. The Cardinals lost starting running back James Conner to a season-ending foot injury in Week 3.
Arizona’s injury luck only got worse a week later against the Seattle Seahawks on “Thursday Night Football” as backup Trey Benson suffered a knee injury which put him on injured reserve (IR).
The Cardinals are back home for an NFC West tilt against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 14. Los Angeles just had their third loss of the season to Carolina, who used a potent running game to eke out the upset win.
Arizona could use more reinforcements to try and replicate that on Sunday. Here’s the latest on Benson’s status ahead of Week 14:
When will Trey Benson return?
Arizona opened Benson’s practice window from IR on Nov. 19. That gave the team 21 days to decide on moving him to the active roster. If Arizona does not do that by Dec. 10, Benson will be back on IR for the rest of the year.
Benson was limited in the first day of practice last week and did not practice the rest of the week. That trend continued today with Benson not practicing during the team’s open portion.
Cardinals RB Trey Benson, WRs Marvin Harrison Jr. and Greg Dortch, pass rusher Josh Sweat, DL Walter Nolen III, S Rabbit Taylor-Demerson, CB Max Melton and OL Kelvin Beachum were NOT practicing during today’s open portion.
RB Emari Demercado was back working. pic.twitter.com/ZENT0QKVFx
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) December 3, 2025
Zonovan “Bam” Knight has led the way for the Cardinals in Benson’s absence with fellow running back Emari Demercado out with injury as well. Demercado was back practicing and may play a bigger role in the offense in Week 14, regardless of Benson’s status.
If Benson is not cleared to play this week, Arizona will have to decide by Dec. 10 whether or not to keep him on the active roster. He’ll either be in the mix for the final four games of the regular season or out for the final month.
Cardinals RB depth chart
If Demercado and Benson both aren’t cleared for Week 14, Carter will back up Knight as he did in Week 13.