James Conner has scored the most touchdowns in the NFL, which is not something that I had on my 2021 bingo card. With Chase Edmonds sidelined by a high ankle sprain, Conner figures to see an increased workload going forward. Should you start Conner in fantasy football against the Carolina Panthers in Week 10?
James Conner Fantasy: Arizona is trying to get healthy
After losing Edmonds, the Cardinals are trying to get healthy at the right time. A.J. Green has been activated off the COVID-19/reserve list, but DeAndre Hopkins has yet to practice this week in preparation for Sunday. Most importantly, quarterback Kyler Murray returned to practice on Friday, indicating that he’s trending towards playing.
Conner looks like he will once again be the focal point of Arizona’s offense after his 21-carry performance in Week 9. After Edmonds went down, Conner received — by far — his largest workload of this season.
The veteran running back posted 96 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns while adding 5 receptions, 77 yards, and another score in the passing game. Conner rewarded fantasy managers with the overall RB1 performance of the week — 37.8 fantasy points in half-PPR.
It was a boom game to end all boom games, but it was largely thanks to Edmonds’ injury.
The Cardinals have used James Conner in a split all season
Last week feels like a fluke. Through the first eight weeks, Conner averaged 11.8 carries, 44.8 yards, and 1 TD per game. He also only had 5 total targets through eight weeks.
Over that same time frame, Edmonds averaged 9.4 carries and 53.4 yards while only scoring 1 total TD. However, he averaged 4.6 targets and 3.8 carries per game for an additional 26.4 receiving yards.
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Conner got the touchdowns, but Edmonds was the more heavily utilized back. Now that Arizona’s coaching staff has a full week of preparation, I don’t believe Conner will see another 20-carry game, especially if Murray returns to the lineup. Eno Benjamin looked promising in limited work, adding a highlight-reel touchdown run on top of his 9 carries for 39 yards.
I’m not buying that Conner is a locked-in RB1.
Conner’s Week 10 fantasy expectations
If you have Conner on your roster, you absolutely need to start him. But there’s reason to temper expectations compared to his monstrous Week 9 performance.
Filling in for the injured Murray, Colt McCoy attempted 26 passes in Week 9. Murray, meanwhile, averages 32 attempts per game. We also need to factor in Murray’s rushing usage — he averages 6.1 carries per game this season.
With Murray on his way back, Conner’s usage is almost sure to drop. While Conner is still a start in Week 10 and is a lock to be Arizona’s goal-line and early-down back, fantasy managers should not expect a repeat performance of Week 9.
