Steelers fantasy football projections for offensive players

RB

James Conner: 220 carries, 990 yds (4.5 YPC), 9 TDs, 38 rec, 323 yds, 3 TDs

Fantasy score: 241 (12th ranked RB in 2019)

Benny Snell: 102 carries, 408 yds (4 YPC), 4 TDs, 4 rec, 28 yds

Fantasy score: 83 (55th ranked RB in 2019)

Anthony McFarland: 28 carries, 148 yds (5.28 YPC), 1 TDs, 17 rec, 153 yds, 2 TDs

Fantasy score: 64 (66th ranked RB in 2019)

The Steelers running game was nothing short of horrendous last year, and that was mainly due to an ailing James Conner being forced to take on a workload he couldn’t handle. He seems in line to bounce back as long as the ball is spread around a little bit more overall. Conner has proven his all-around ability (a big plus in PPR leagues) and assuming he can healthfully suit up for 13-16 games, expect him to provide the type of season he had in 2018.

That said, all it takes is one injury to derail his season, thus his current draft projection (somewhere around round three) is inherently risky. If he bounces back, his upside is a starting fantasy RB, but if his body continues to fail him, his season will likely mimic 2019. If he could fall into rounds four or five, he would be a steal, just be cautious because of his injury history.

As for the backups, assuming Conner is healthy, neither Benny Snell nor Anthony McFarland should see a surplus of work. That said, Snell will be worth the investment late if you already drafted Conner, as Snell will be in line to take the bell cow of snaps if an injury were to occur. I like McFarland as a big-play threat, but unless he can split time with Snell after a Conner injury, his fantasy value will likely come in 2021.