As we inch toward the new season, the ever-changing NFL landscape has player fantasy values constantly on the move. Whether you’re used to the dynasty platform or are still learning the rules, let’s dive into the latest dynasty value of James Conner.
James Conner’s Dynasty Outlook and Value
What do we do with Conner? The man is 28 years old and relatively inefficient every season. In 2022, Conner averaged 4.3 yards per carry and 4.7 yards per touch. He also was one of the best values at running back, finishing as the overall RB9, averaging 15.4 ppg. This came a year after his RB7 finish at 17.2 ppg.
Conner also possessed one of the best roles in all of fantasy over the past two seasons. In an era where the bell-cow running back is becoming more and more scarce, Conner is rolling back the clock.
He had five games last season with a snap share above 90%. He finished sixth amongst running backs in snap share and eighth in opportunity share. It’s fair to wonder if he would’ve been first in both categories if not for injury.
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The Cardinals have Conner under contract for two more seasons, but they have an out after 2023 to cut him with just a $2 million dead cap hit. Depending on how Conner performs this season, that seems like a realistic outcome.
Given Conner’s age, he likely only has one or two quality years left, and those years might both play out on a bottom-five offense. If that happens, he will need tremendous volume to maintain his productivity.
Kliff Kingsbury was a known quantity. Whoever his RB1 was, that guy was getting all the work. Will new head coach Jonathan Gannon have a similar approach?
James Conner’s Fantasy Ranking
Conner comes with a heap of factors contributing to uncertainty, including his age, contract situation, offensive situation, new coach, and past injuries. Conner has missed anywhere from two to six games in each season he’s been in the NFL.
Even if I’m a team prepared to win this year, Conner is someone I’m looking to offload. I know, easier said than done. It’s no secret that trading away older running backs on bad offenses is a good idea. Of course, don’t just give him away. But if you don’t have Conner, I would leave him with the team who has him or let someone else acquire him.
Given the state of the running back position and the lack of trustworthy quality options beyond a few top guys, you’ll probably find Conner inside the top-24 dynasty running backs most of the time … but not here.
We have Conner at RB33, No. 105 overall in dynasty Superflex rankings. He’s just not someone I’d be excited about rostering for the remainder of his career. He’s definitely not the type of player I’m looking to target in dynasty startup drafts.