Two Arizona Cardinals could be poised for breakout seasons, with their potential impact in fantasy football helped them make ESPN’s list of breakout players entering their second year in the league.
Trey Benson, who was the only running back on the list, was named an undervalued player and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. was listed as a breakout player.
ESPN’s Liz Loza anticipates Benson’s workload and role will increase in 2025.
A power runner with 97th percentile speed, Benson was the second back selected in last year’s NFL draft. Coach Jonathan Gannon has already intimated that Benson would likely have a larger role in his second campaign, which makes sense given Conner’s injury history and Benson’s skill set. With the fourth-easiest strength of schedule among RBs (according to Mike Clay) and currently being selected 158th overall in ESPN fantasy drafts, Benson is one of the highest-upside backups at the position.
Despite playing in a majority of the team’s games last season (13) before an ankle injury kept him out of the final three games, Benson never had the chance for consistent reps.
There were only two games throughout Benson’s rookie campaign in which he had more than 10 carries in a game.
It’s not Benson’s fault, necessarily. James Conner, the Cardinals’ lead back, had one of his best seasons yet as a pro. He reached a career-high 1,094 rushing yards and played in 16 regular season games, his most since entering the league.
In comparison, Benson had 63 carries for 291 yards and one rushing touchdown on the season.
While those stats may not jump off the page, Benson did average 4.6 yards per carry and showed flashes of the explosive player he was at Florida State.
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The jump from year one to year two is a crucial one in the NFL. Adjusting to game speed from college to the NFL isn’t easy, and it sometimes takes even the most talented players a year to acclimate.
A prime example is Cardinals tight end Trey McBride, who in his rookie season caught 29 passes for 265 yards before his year two jump. In his sophomore season, McBride demolished his rookie numbers, catching 81 passes for 825 yards.
The Cardinals expect Benson to make a similar year two jump after selecting him in the third round of the 2024 draft, but he’ll have to earn it with Conner coming off his best season.
“If (Benson) takes a necessary jump from Year 1 to Year 2, I think we got two starting backs,” Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon told reporters during the 2025 NFL Draft Combine. “That’s how I kind of view those guys. You see certain teams out there that have two No. 1s, I would say. I think we should have two No. 1s next year.”
Marvin Harrison Jr. cracks the list of potential fantasy football breakout stars, too
While Benson may be flying more under the radar, it’s no surprise that Cardinals and NFL fans are expecting a huge jump in production for Harrison in year two.
ESPN’s Eric Moody sees increased fantasy potential for Harrison in 2025.
Harrison was the No. 4 pick in 2024, giving him optimal breakout potential in his second season. He finished 2024 as the WR30 but ranked third in end zone targets (18), ninth in air yards (1,518) and 20th in total targets (116). A poor 59.3% catchable target rate limited his upside. With improved QB play from Kyler Murray and a clear WR1 role, Harrison has top-15 fantasy potential in 2025.
Harrison, like Benson, has all the tools to take his play to the next level and turn into the star Cardinals fans imagined when he was selected fourth overall in 2024.
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