Cardinals RB James Conner Could be Fantasy Football Steal

Arizona Cardinals RB James Conner was able to reach the end zone often in 2022 - can that be repeated this season?

There's been plenty of talk around the 2023 Arizona Cardinals, most of which hasn't been optimistic. The organization has undergone quite the amount of change since the offseason began, and fresh faces across the board mark the beginning stages of a rebuild that is expected to be ugly.

While Cardinals fans will be watching for wins and losses, the millions of people who play fantasy football will be tuning into the desert on Sunday afternoons to watch key offensive players such as Marquise Brown and James Conner. 

The jury is still out on Brown and what he can do as Arizona's new WR1 after the departure of DeAndre Hopkins, though Conner proved he could be valuable when upright and healthy - he finished with 782 rushing yards (seven touchdowns) and 300 receiving yards on 46 receptions (one touchdown) in just 13 games. 

So what's working in favor for Conner?

Heading into 2023, Conner is the only reliable back on Arizona's depth chart and should again take on a workhorse load. He's playing in an offense that will prioritize running the football but is also likely to find themselves down in games needing to pass the ball, placing Conner in strong opportunities to add catches and yards alongside his rushing resume. 

SI fantasy analyst Kyle Wood evaluated Conner ahead of training camp and says he could be a strong value pick:

"Conner had three top-15 finishes in his first nine games and he was among the top-15 scorers at his position in each of his final four. He recorded at least 15 carries and three receptions in each appearance from Weeks 14-17. Conner had at least 63 yards rushing and 28 yards receiving in all four contests, topped 100 scrimmage yards three times and scored three of his eight total touchdowns during this segment of the season," wrote Wood.

"The Cardinals didn’t make any offseason moves that would threaten Conner’s standing as a potential three-down back and he shouldn’t have to worry about Keaontay Ingram or Corey Clement taking away touches. Conner was on the field for 71% of Arizona’s snaps in 2022, the second-highest rate of his career. He’s finished as a top-20 back each of the last two seasons and he has a clear pathway to 200-plus carries in addition to his receiving work, which should be plentiful with Colt McCoy under center until Murray’s return.

"Don’t bank on top-10 production from Conner in one of the league’s worst offenses, but he could prove to be a value in drafts as the RB26 based on volume alone."

Cardinals OC Drew Petzing says the team plans to utilize their RB1 efficiently:

“Finding the balance of the runs that he runs the best and matching that with our offensive line and play action game looks like will be really important for us as we approach the fall,” he said earlier in June. 

If Conner is healthy, his ADP of 64 (via FantasyPros) could prove to be "steal" worthy in the realm of fantasy.

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