The Arizona Cardinals Release Running Back Trey Benson, Creating An Intriguing Fantasy Football Free Agent

The Arizona Cardinals have released 2025 fantasy darling running back Trey Benson. After climbing up draft boards last season, he was limited to just four games last season to injuries. Just one year later, the former third-round pick out of Florida State is being released by the team that drafted him in 2024.

The Cardinals have waived RB Trey Benson. pic.twitter.com/KXJp7piBkz
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) August 24, 2026

This shouldn't come as much of a surprise, given that the team paid former Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier in free agency, gave James Conner an extension, and drafted former Notre Dame star Jeremiyah Love with the third-overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The writing has been on the wall since the draft.

While the Cardinals were inevitably going to move on from Benson, we don't expect him to be on the free agent market long. Some team is going to take a shot on him, and he could end up being an interesting investment.

Fantasy Impact

RB Trey Benson, FA

Despite only seeing the field in four games last season due to a knee injury, he was good in limited action. He averaged an impressive 5.5 yards per carry on 29 carries and was efficient in the passing attack, catching 13 of 16 targets.

In his career, he has averaged 4.9 yards per carry and was a highly touted prospect coming out of college. It's going to be very interesting to see who brings him in now that he's available.

There are two different scenarios for him joining a new team. He could land somewhere in a clear backup job, where he threatens to steal work for an established fantasy asset, or he could go somewhere that he can legitimately compete for a starting job.

He would be an intriguing handcuff on a team like the Indianapolis Colts behind Jonathan Taylor, or he could compete for the starting job on a team like the Minnesota Vikings. There is also a chance he goes somewhere and steps into a pass-catching role in a committee backfield.

It's also important to watch what's going on with other running backs around the league. Ashton Jeanty is dealing with an ankle injury and could miss time, which might lead to the Las Vegas Raiders adding a back. Josh Jacobs could also be in some legal trouble, which could cause the Green Bay Packers to sign a running back like Benson. The New Orleans Saints could also be an interesting landing spot now that Alvin Kamara could miss months due to injury.

This is a situation we will monitor closely because there is a real chance that Benson has a fantasy football impact. Even if he doesn't hold enough value to start or even roster, he could damage the value of another prominent running back that you do have on your roster.

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