James Conner has been watching from the sidelines for the past several weeks as he’s been recovering from a knee injury, much to the dismay of his fantasy football managers who desperately need help at the RB position.
However, some positive news has come out that may indicate the Arizona Cardinals RB is set to return to the lineup here very soon. What’s the latest news on the veteran, and should fantasy managers expect him back as early as Week 10?
Latest Injury Update on James Conner
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Cardinals are hoping to open the practice window for Conner here this week after he’s missed the past four games. While this doesn’t necessarily mean that he’ll be ready to roll right away here in Week 10 against the Atlanta Falcons, it’s certainly a step in the right direction.
We saw the Cardinals open the practice window for Kyler Murray just last week and then he ended up sitting Week 9’s matchup against the Cleveland Browns. Thus, Conner having his practice window opened this week does not guarantee that he will suit up right away.
Editor’s note: The Cardinals have designated Conner to return off of injured reserve, as of Wednesday morning.
Will Conner Play This Week?
At the time of writing, it’s too early to discern whether or not Conner is at full strength after several weeks of rest. As mentioned above, it’s a step in the right direction for him to be trending towards returning to practice, but that doesn’t mean that he’s instantly going to be active and available for fantasy managers this Sunday.
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We’ll continue to monitor the practice reports and update you with the information that managers need to know, so make sure to check back in here frequently.
What Does This Mean for Conner’s Fantasy Ranking?
Fantasy managers that have held onto Conner this entire time are certainly going to be excited to hear this news as the injuries have piled up at a rapid rate so far this NFL season. It seems like every key player has missed at least one or two games this year, so having someone like Conner back in the lineup would be a boost for a lot of fantasy rosters.
This seems like a bit of a lost season for Arizona, as they’re currently projected to pick No. 1 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, but with Murray set to return — barring a setback — this week against Atlanta, they appear ready to try and scratch their way back up the NFL standings.
Conner is pushing to return since he is in a contract year and needs to generate as much production as he can to warrant consideration for an extension with the Cardinals into 2024 and beyond.
On the surface, it seems like a head-scratching decision to see a veteran like Conner trying to push his way back so quickly for a 1-8 team right now, but this provides a bit more context.
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With the return of Murray at QB, this offense should be able to produce more firepower than it has up to this point. We’ve seen Conner be productive with lackluster QB play already this year, so Murray’s presence could vault Conner into the high-end RB2 conversation week in and week out.
If you’ve held onto Conner this entire time, you’re about to be rewarded with a solid RB that will come with guaranteed volume every week, plus plenty of scoring upside now that the offense projects to improve with Murray back in the fold.
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