James Conner
Projected points: 179.19
Overall rank: 95th
Running back rank: 23rd
Whether we would like to think so or not, this isn’t going to be the same James Conner who wowed fantasy owners back in 2018. It’s not that Conner is a worse player now, it’s just that he won’t receive the same amount of opportunities he once did.
Conner has proven to be a solid draft choice for the Steelers, but his average athletic traits combined with his inability to stay on the football field make him a RB2 at best this year. In addition, the Steelers have drafted running backs in four consecutive sesaon – the most recent being Maryland speedster, Anthony McFarland.
When healthy, Conner should be a solid fantasy stash who still can burst out for a 20-point performance, but if the Steelers deploy a committee approach this year, his five minutes of fame in fantasy circles could already be over. For those who do draft Conner this year, we can almost count on him getting injured at some point, but it’s impossible to predict which backup will be the handcuff to own. It’s best to avoid James Conner this year unless the price is right.