Did Eno Benjamin get his fantasy football value back?
After being surprisingly released by the Arizona Cardinals on Monday, the running back was quickly able to find a new home. On Tuesday afternoon, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Houston Texans have claimed Benjamin on waivers.
Eno Benjamin Fantasy Football Value After Landing in Houston
At just 23 years of age, it a bit of a mystery why the Cardinals decided to move on from Benjamin at this point in the season, especially given that he’s had more production spurts than backfield-mate James Conner this season.
With Conner unavailable due to injury, Benjamin was the lead back in Arizona for multiple games, carrying the ball a combined 27 times for 129 yards and a touchdown in Weeks 6 & 7. He also put his pass-catching ability on display, with 24 receptions on 33 targets for 184 yards on the season.
But Benjamin has fallen out of favor in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense over the past two weeks. His snap count went from 74% in Week 8, to 27% in Week 9, and just 1% in Week 10.
While the Texans are fully in rebuild mode, they seem to have found their running back of the future in rookie Florida Gators product, Dameon pierce. Given the RB1 duties since Week 1, Pierce has proven to be one of few bright spots for the Texans, with 772 yards and three touchdowns on the season, running for an impressive 4.7 yards per carry.
Even though the running back spot will be Pierce’s going forward, it’s fair to assume that Eno Benjamin will be given his fair share of looks in the Texans offense. With no playoff aspirations, Houston will want to give the young back every opportunity to prove he can be a play-maker for them it the future.
Still, it’s hard to expect two running back to have fantasy football value for the Texans, and it’s probably not worth a claim on Benjamin as long as Pierce remains healthy and productive.
You can also use our free Player Compare to put Eno Benjamin up against any other running back you’re considering in DFS and see what our expert projections suggest.
