We are close enough to the start of the NFL season to begin considering players for fantasy football drafts.
Pro Football Focus published their fantasy rankings for running backs, separating them into tiers.
Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner is in the middle of the back, ranked 23rd among 60 players, in Tier 5.
Conner remains the clear-cut starter in an Arizona offense that will struggle.
- He’s put up some great numbers in Arizona’s offense in the past. He has 0.79 rushing touchdowns per game, which is tied for second-most out of 94 running backs with at least 15 games since 2021.
- This has led to 16.4 PPR fantasy points per game, ranking seventh-most among the same 94 backs.
- Arizona had the second-lowest run-blocking team grade last season. Adding Paris Johnson in the draft should help, but it might take time for him to develop.
- The offense, in general, isn’t expected to be as good. It’s unclear if or when Kyler Murray will play this season, and losing DeAndre Hopkins without replacing him also won’t help.
- The Cardinals have a new coaching staff, so if anything, the staff will try using younger backs more rather than let Conner see even more time compared to what he’s done in the past.
Conner has the potential to give fantasy owners a lot of value. The Cardinals expect to have a heavy focus on the running game this season. Conner is expected to be the bell cow.
There is no evidence that Gannon and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing will lean on younger players. Conner is the only back on the roster with any proven NFL production.
Health has always been more of a concern for Conner than production.
Should he be a fantasy owner’s first pick? No.
But, if healthy, he should be a very reliable producer in 2023.
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