Trey Benson's Injury Update is Good News for Cardinals Other Running Backs

Trey Benson remains on injured reserve, giving Arizona Cardinals running backs Bam Knight and Emari Demercado a chance to shine in Week 9 fantasy lineups.

Arizona Cardinals running back Trey Benson (33) against the Seattle Seahawks at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Arizona Cardinals running back Trey Benson has now missed three games since being placed on injured reserve. Any player placed on injured reserve has to miss at least four games, so he is not eligible to play in Week 9. His first chance to return would be in Week 10. However, he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery to fix his meniscus on October 1, and the recovery time from that is four to six weeks.

While there is a chance that he returns to action in Week 10, it is far from a sure thing. Even with the bye week landing during his stint on injured reserve, it still seems more than likely that fantasy owners will be without Benson for at least two more games. If he does return in Week 10, we'd expect him to at the very least be limited. 

Fantasy Football Impact of Trey Benson Injury Update

Arizona Cardinals running back Bam Knight (20) returns a kickoff against the Tennessee Titans during the fourth quarter at State Farm Stadium. | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Bam Knight, Arizona Cardinals

With Benson sidelined, Knight is fully expected to handle the vast majority of the workload until he returns. The Cardinals even cut Michael Carter during their bye week, leaving Knight as a locked-in near every-down back. In Week 9, Knight will have an outstanding matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, who have the worst defense in the NFL. They are allowing the second-most fantasy points to running backs this season.

If you have Knight, you have a great starting option for at least one week. There is a chance he was dropped last week and landed on the waiver wire, so make sure he’s not available in your league before waivers run tomorrow. This is a situation that we will have to revisit next week when Arizona is set to take on the Seattle Seahawks. 

Emari Demercado, Arizona Cardinals

We have only seen Demercado in one game since he dropped the ball before crossing the goal line for a TD, and he got injured in that game. He is a wild card as far as fantasy production goes. There is a good chance that he is little more than a fantasy afterthought; however, we can't rule out the possibility of him serving as the primary passing-down back.

Michael Carter officially re-signed with Cardinals' practice squad. https://t.co/3RvKsxK1ly

— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) October 28, 2025

The release of Michael Carter certainly made Demercado a more interesting flex option dart throw for desperate fantasy owners or DFS GPP players. However, the Cardinals re-signed Carter hours later to the practice squad. Ultimately, Demercado is not a viable fantasy option. Nevertheless, if he is available on your waiver wire and you have an open slot before Week 9 kicks off, he could be worth a speculative stash just in case in deeper leagues.