Fantasy Upside
Arizona was in need of another running back after letting Kenyan Drake go in free agency. That means Chase Edmonds will be paired with former Steeler James Conner, who signed with the team in April. It's expected that they'll share reps and responsibilities in coach Kliff Kingsbury's offense that asks running backs to be both rushers and receivers. ESPN.com's Josh Weinfuss contends the "Cardinals added much-needed depth in the backfield" when Conner agreed to terms with the club. We'll see about that. A fourth-round pick in 2018, Edmonds accounted for 850 yards from scrimmage in 2020 -- 448 rushing, 402 receiving -- and had five total touchdowns. According to ESPN's Matthew Berry, Edmonds was fifth last season in fantasy points per touch (minimum 100 touches), and if you give him more touches, it's not unreasonable to expect him to score more.
Fantasy Downside
We don't know if he's actually capable of handling a true featured role. Last year's 97 carries and 67 targets were career highs. Those 2020 numbers were compiled on a 46 percent snap share and Edmonds has played a secondary/complementary role throughout his first three seasons.
2021 Bottom Line
The counter to that argument is that in nine career games with 10-plus touches, Edmonds has averaged 15.1 points per game. As Berry summed up. "Edmonds has true three-down back ability, and this is a good offense in which there will be a lot of opportunity (Drake actually led the NFL in goal-to-go carries last season)." Edmonds will have to battle Conner for some of those goal-line touches. But the Cardinals clearly believe in Edmonds. Expect him to be the leader of this committee.