James Conner

Week 2 vs. Los Angeles Rams
Conner is heading into his Age 29 season, which is definitely pushing up against the RB age cliff in fantasy, and the team decided to take a shot on a rookie with 4.39 speed to give the offense some insurance in case this is indeed when the veteran starts to decline. With that said, he's still been a highly efficient runner, and he finds himself in a much better offensive environment than he was in last season. He still profiles as a high-floor/moderate-ceiling RB2 and should be fired into all lineups in Week 2.

Fantasy Upside

James Conner sneakily had his first 1,000-yard rushing season in 2023, paired with a moderate 27 catches and 165 more yards. His 5.0 YPC also set a new career high, and he has now scored seven touchdowns or more in each of his last four seasons. That type of baseline production makes him a weekly RB2, with RB1 spikes when he finds the end zone multiple times in a week, or has a particularly heavy receiving workload. The boost in weapons around him could give him even more goal-line looks in 2024.

Fantasy Downside
As is so often the case at the position, Conner has missed at least some time in every season of his NFL career, including a knee strain that kept him out of a four-game stretch in the middle of '23. The addition of Trey Benson to the backfield gives Conner the most serious competition for touches that he's had since coming to Arizona in 2021. The third-round rookie offers the team some explosive upside that has a very realistic probability of limiting Conner's monster 20-plus attempt upside.

2024 Bottom Line
Conner is heading into his Age 29 season, which is definitely pushing up against the RB age cliff in fantasy, and the team decided to take a shot on a rookie with 4.39 speed to give the offense some insurance in case this is indeed when the veteran starts to decline. With that said, he's still been a highly efficient runner, and he finds himself in a much better offensive environment than he was in last season. He still profiles as a high-floor/moderate-ceiling RB2 and should be targeted when he slides down draft boards.

Week 16 at Chicago Bears

James Conner had 86 yards and a touchdown last week against the 49ers. It was a lopsided loss for the Cardinals, but it was Conner’s third touchdown in the last two games. The Cardinals have given him double-digit touches in nearly every healthy game so far this year, so expect them to continue to give him opportunities down the home stretch of the season.

This week, Conner faces a Chicago defense that ranks third in aFPA to opposing running backs. The Bears have been really good and the Cardinals seem to be headed in the wrong direction to close out the season, so start Conner at your own risk. If the Cardinals can keep the score close, Conner should get enough work to be relevant, but consider him a RB3/Flex option, rather than the RB2 status he might have in a more competitive year.