Through the first 11 weeks of the NFL season, James Conner has been a solid fantasy football running back to own. While he has consistently scored RB2/Flex numbers, Conner certainly has the opportunity to up those numbers come the fantasy playoffs, per the Arizona Cardinals fantasy playoff strength of schedule. He is certainly a player that you need to add if you want to win your fantasy football championship this season.
The University of Pittsburgh alum has recorded 697 yards on the ground and five rushing touchdowns. Conner currently sits at 13th in the NFL in rushing yards and tied for 17th in touchdowns. While we all expected Conner to have somewhat of a down season, due to age and injury concerns, Arizona’s competitiveness has certainly helped Conner stay relevant this season.
In this article, I will break down why James Conner needs to be added if you want to make a run at the fantasy football championship.
James Conner is MUST-BUY Before Fantasy Football Trade Deadline
Arizona’s Surprise Success has Benefitted Conner’s Fantasy Production
Don’t look now, but the Arizona Cardinals are currently slotted in as the third seed in the NFC playoff picture. In a division with the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams, many predicted that the Cardinals would finish towards the bottom of the division. That hasn’t been less true, as Arizona has employed one of the league’s most productive offenses this season.
With Kyler Murray using his legs more lately, Conner has been the main benefactor, seeing holes open in the middle of the line as linebackers have to keep their eyes on Murray. As a whole, the Cardinals are ranked fifth in the NFL in rushing yards per game, proving that the rushing offense can support three fantasy-relevant players in Conner, Murray and Trey Benson.
It is no secret that the Cardinals’ success this season has come on the back of its run game. Now, I am not going to count the San Francisco 49ers out, but as it stands right now, this is certainly the Cardinals’ division to lose. They have sneakily been one of the better teams in the NFC this season and, if that is going to continue, it will come on the back of their run game with Conner leading the pack.
Cardinals Schedule Presents Ample Opportunity for Conner to Score
As the second half of the NFL season continues to progress, fantasy managers should continue to look at their players’ schedules come Weeks 14-18, also known as the fantasy football playoffs. In those weeks, the Arizona Cardinals take on the Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers, Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers. Those teams have given up a ton of yards on the ground to opposing teams’ rushing attacks – Seattle is 21st in rushing yards against, New England is 23rd, Carolina is 31st, Los Angeles is 16th and San Francisco is 7th.
While San Francisco is obviously the outlier there, that game comes in Week 18, when most leagues are over. Given Arizona’s success on the ground this season, it is encouraging to see that that can continue against some of the poorer rush defenses this season.
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James Conner’s High Red Zone Volume Gives Touchdown Upside
With Arizona’s success on offense this season, they have seen a lot of red zone trips. From Weeks 7-10, James Conner is seeing some of the highest usage in the red zone among running backs. Conner saw 19 red zone carries through those four weeks, which ranked third behind Kareem Hunt and Joe Mixon. On top of that, Conner had five rushes inside of the five-yard line, which ranked fourth behind Hunt, Chuba Hubbard and Rhamondre Stevenson.
Those rankings come by way of our Opportunity Index, which is also free for members.
While Conner is not a strong threat to break off huge runs, his between-the-tackles running ability partners well with Murray’s strength at making plays outside of the pocket. If Arizona continues to move the ball, Conner has to spearhead that by exposing the middle of the field, something that he is really good at, especially on the goal line. With Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison and Michael Wilson being threats in the passing game, Conner will continue to see open running lanes and should continue to be used as a weapon in scoring situations.
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