Jonathan Taylor, a top-five running back in PFN’s Consensus Rankings, has looked like a top-five running back for the last month. But James Conner and the Arizona Cardinals are facing one of the league’s worst rush defenses in the Los Angeles Rams.
Should that be enough for fantasy football managers to pick Conner over Taylor to start in their lineup this week? We’ll give you the fantasy football outlook for each player.
Should You Start Jonathan Taylor or James Conner This Week?
In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, our Consensus Rankings say that Taylor is the player to start. His projected 16.3 points include 81 rushing yards, four receptions, and 20 receiving yards. His projected stat line easily outperforms the consensus projection of Conner’s 11.5 points.
My ranking for these running backs aligns with the consensus. Taylor has looked like one of the best all-around backs in the league since getting back into the starting lineup in Week 7.
Fantasy Outlook for Taylor This Week
Taylor was put back in the starting lineup for the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7, and it has paid off for fans of Taylor. He has posted at least 69 scrimmage yards in each of his last four games, and over that span is averaging 90.3 scrimmage yards per game.
His yards per carry average remains under four (3.8), so that is a disappointment. In fact, over his last two games, Taylor is averaging less than three yards a carry (2.8).
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
However, he is getting plenty of carries and touches. Over those last four games, Taylor is averaging nearly 17.8 rush attempts a game and 20.3 touches per game.
He also found the end zone for the second straight game and will be looking to make it three straight games with a touchdown for the first time since Weeks 10-12 last season.
Facing a top-10 rush defense like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will not be easy for Taylor or the Colts. But the Buccaneers did give up 115 rushing yards to the San Francisco 49ers last week.
Taylor is a top five running fantasy running back and should be given the starting nod in most cases going forward.
Fantasy Outlook for Conner This Week
Conner, who is ranked No. 21 among running backs in PFN’s Consensus Rankings, has looked sharp in his first two games since returning from a four-game absence due to injury. He’s averaged 67.5 rush yards per game and 4.5 yards per carry on 15 rush attempts a game over his last two games.
And for the season, Conner is averaging over five yards a carry for the Arizona Cardinals, who may be without backup running back Emari Demercado, who has been limited this week due to a toe injury. That would probably provide Conner with a few more carries as well.
Conner’s downfall, when sizing up against Taylor, is the fact that he is nowhere near the pass-catching threat that Taylor has become. Conner has 10 total receptions in seven games, and over his last two games has two catches for one yard.
The PFN Start/Sit Optimizer projects Conner to finish with 38 rushing yards, with three receptions for 21 yards.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!