It seems like every year a player gets on a scoring role that is hard to predict or project. In 2021, that player was Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner. He came to the Cardinals after being left for dead when the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Najee Harris and had no use for the veteran Conner.
Below, we look at James Conner‘s 2022 fantasy football average draft position (ADP) and where you should draft him.
In his 1st season with the Cardinals, he was expected to be in a battle with Chase Edmonds for playing time and, while Conner had almost twice as many carries, he averaged just 3.7 yards per rush and wasn’t a dangerous breakaway threat. However, he scored a whopping 18 touchdowns in 15 games — a number that will be difficult to replicate.
James Conner’s ADP: 32.00
(ADP data courtesy of MyFantasyLeague.com; last updated at time of this publishing – ADPs continually change as more drafts occur)
Despite his gaudy scoring numbers from 2021 and his ability to finish off drives in close, Conner still has his share of detractors in fantasy circles.
His ADP has his coming off draft boards early in the 4th round in 10-player fantasy leagues as the No. 16 running back, behind Leonard Fournette (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) at 26.82 and Ezekiel Elliott (Dallas Cowboys) at 29.97 and in front of Cam Akers (Los Angeles Rams) at 38.56 and Travis Etienne (Jacksonville Jaguars) at 40.66.
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James Conner’s 2021 stats
Games: 15
Carries | rushing yards: 202 | 752
Rushing touchdowns: 15
Receptions | receiving yards: 37 | 375
Receiving touchdowns: 3
Where should you draft Conner?
There is something to be said for niche players who are designated scorers, which Conner clearly was last season. While it isn’t realistic to expect another season with 18 TDs, Conner has the confidence of the organization.
Edmonds was his primary competition, but the Cardinals made their choice — keeping Conner and allowing Edmonds to leave via free agency and sign with the Miami Dolphins. With Edmonds gone, depth is thin behind Conner, which means if he stays healthy, he will be the featured back in every game.
When you get the point where you’re looking for an RB2 for your roster, somebody who isn’t a time share is the ideal candidate and given the combination of his scoring ability and lack of realistic threats to his playing time, Conner fits that bill. While I’m not a big fan of Conner as a fantasy player, he is in an offense ideally suited for his skill set and capable of getting into scoring position numerous times a game. That typically leads to fantasy success.
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