Analyze Micahel Carter's matchup for week 10
Michael Carter is stuck in a three-headed committee behind Bam Knight, has averaged under 3.0 YPC in two of his last three games, and plays for a sputtering Arizona offense—leave him on your bench in Week 10.
Arizona travels to New York to face a Giants defense that has quietly climbed to 12th in rushing DVOA and allows just 4.0 YPC. With Carter ceding early-down work to Knight and Emari Demercado mixed in on passing downs, the Cardinals’ backfield is a fantasy roulette wheel. The Giants’ defensive front, led by Dexter Lawrence, should dominate a below-average Cardinals line, leaving little room for any runner to pop a big play.
Carter’s snap share has fallen from 61% in Week 6 to 39% in Week 9 while his YPC has plummeted to 1.6 against Dallas; he’s clearly the 1B in this backfield.
Michael Carter re-signed with Arizona after a late-October release, but the reunion has not resurrected his fantasy value. Over the last three weeks he’s handled 34 carries yet produced only 96 rushing yards—2.8 YPC—while seeing his red-zone touches vanish (zero inside-the-10 rushes since Week 7). The offensive line ranks 28th in adjusted line yards and 30th in stuffed rate, so even when Carter finds a crease he’s met at or behind the line. Add in Arizona’s quarterback instability (Clayton Tune or a banged-up Kyler Murray) and the Giants can stack the box without fear; New York has done exactly that on 32% of opponent runs the last month, fifth-highest rate. Carter’s only path to a usable week is a short-area touchdown, but the Cardinals prefer Knight in goal-to-go situations and have thrown on 63% of snaps inside the 5. In 12-team leagues you can safely cut Carter for any back with a 15-touch projection—think Ty Chandler, Gus Edwards, or even practice-squad elevations like Keaontay Ingram who could inherit a lead role elsewhere.