Fantasy Football Impact of James Conner's Injury
ARIZONA -- Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner isn't expected to be in the fold for a few weeks after suffering a knee injury in Week 5's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, as numerous NFL insiders have reported Conner is a candidate to land on injured reserve.
*Update since the time of publish, Conner has been placed on injured reserve and will miss the next four games at minimum*
Conner - rostered in 95% of leagues on ESPN - was a strong RB1 in Arizona with little behind him to take away carries, targets or touchdown opportunities. Even with him missing nearly three full quarters of football, Conner is still ranked as RB18 with an average of 13.5 points per game.
If you drafted Conner, you likely got him at a bargain price and was thrilled with his production.
Now, fantasy owners are looking to evaluate other options, and so too are the Cardinals as they move forward without their bellcow rusher.
Here's the fantasy football impact of Conner's absence:
Fantasy Football Impact of James Conner's Injury
Who will replace Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner?
© Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
Running Backs
The Cardinals have a handful of names in the mix, though their top candidate to replace Conner wasn't even active on Sunday.
Keaontay Ingram didn't play the last two weeks due to a neck injury, which propelled Emari Demercado to RB1 duties once Conner was out. He rushed for 45 yards on ten carries and found the end zone on the ground while catching one pass for 12 yards.
For what it's worth, Demercado was the only running back to take snaps once Conner went out, as Corey Clement (who was called up from the practice squad) didn't register playing time on offense.
Also notable: The Cardinals signed Damien Williams to the practice squad late last week and yesterday claimed Tony Jones off waivers - they're certainly keeping options open.
As of now, there's reason to believe Ingram could be the RB1 in Arizona when healthy. He out-snapped Demercado the first two weeks and has had fairly high praise around him when available.
It also wouldn't be surprising to see Arizona try a handful of options and ride the hot-hand, especially with their offensive line playing well in terms of run-blocking.
Verdict: If healthy, we would roll with Ingram, though Demercado could make a jump into the conversation. Regardless of who you claim/acquire, it's best not to start them until we gain further information.
Quarterbacks
Josh Dobbs had been surprisingly efficient with a reliable running game, as Weeks 2-4 he didn't turn the ball over and finally appeared to have found his footing in Arizona's offense after landing in the desert at the tail end of the preseason.
However, Dobbs was brought back down to earth with three turnovers last week - all coming after Conner departed the game.
Against a Bengals defense that ranked near the bottom of the league in major categories, Dobbs and Arizona's offense was mostly disappointing on Sunday.
Going 15/32 for 166 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions, Dobbs also lost a fumble. Can he rebound?
Jonathan Gannon believes so.
“He’s a pro’s pro and he’s smart. He’s accountable, he wants to win, and he wants to be out there and affect the game in a positive way, which I think all of our guys do. He’s a good teammate to have because that’s what you want out of your teammates. He was awesome in there today and I look forward to getting back on the grass and going to work.”
Dobbs will face a Rams defense that ranks No. 18 in fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks.
Verdict: Arizona's offense came into 2023 looking to establish the run, and they've had success with Conner in the saddle. Could the Cardinals opt for a more pass-heavy approach? Whether due to game-planning or game circumstances dictating it, Dobbs may be called upon to open things up through the air. We're confident, for now, that he can rebound next week.
Pass-Catchers
While the offense continues to open up for Dobbs, he'll need his security blanket in Zach Ertz now more than ever. Ertz was targeted just four times last week but did find the end zone, and outside of Marquise Brown, he's the most targeted pass-catcher on the team.
Speaking of Brown, he paces the Cardinals in every major receiving category and continues to be a valuable asset for fantasy players as WR13 in PPR formats. Despite a slight emergence from Michael Wilson, this is still very much Brown's room to lead.
Verdict: There's not much impact for the pass-catchers, but if anything they could see increased opportunity if Arizona decides to lean on the arm of Dobbs more with Conner out. Perhaps in the red zone more opportunities will come through the air?
It's reasonable to expect increased production across the board, though it might not be substantial.
