We're drafting Conner as a No. 2 running back in Round 4 or 5 of most Fantasy leagues. At 28, Conner is approaching old for a running back and he's missed at least three games in four of the past five seasons. All that makes it pretty shocking that the Cardinals did nothing to shore up their running back room behind him, leaving Keaontay Ingram and Corey Clement as his top competition. That should signal that Conner will be a workhorse back for as long as he holds up. It's a different coaching staff, but last year that looked like a six-week stretch where Conner played almost 90% of the snaps, produced more than 100 yards per game and outscored everyone but Josh Jacobs on a per-game basis.
Conner rushed six times for 27 yards and brought in four of five targets for five yards in the Cardinals' 37-14 loss to the Rams on Sunday.
Conner's day quickly fell victim to a game script that saw the Cardinals already down by 13 points at halftime. The veteran back also found running room to be mostly at a premium, considering 14 of his rushing yards came on one carry. Conner's yardage tally was a season-low total, and he'll aim to bounce back from the unproductive afternoon against his old Steelers squad on the road in Week 13.
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Cardinals' James Conner: RBs to Sit
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Conner has posted two empty stat lines against the Falcons in Week 10 and the Texans in Week 11 since coming back from a four-game absence with a knee injury. He's scored 8.3 PPR points in each outing with a combined 30 carries for 135 yards and two catches for 1 yard on three targets. His lack of work in the passing game is a concern since he only has five catches on eight targets in his past six games, and the Cardinals only have three rushing touchdowns on the season from their running backs. The Rams are No. 8 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs this year, so Conner is just a flex option at best in most leagues for Week 12.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Contrarian DFS Play
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I admit I may be catching a falling knife here. Conner's production has lagged since he returned from IR and the Cardinals are still a bad team. Still, he's been an excellent runner this season and he saw a little bit of work in the passing game last week. I still believe there's 20-touch and 20-Fantasy point upside here. The nice thing is, you'll have very little company if he pays off.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Solid numbers in Week 11 loss
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Conner rushed 14 times for 62 yards and brought in two of three targets for one yard in the Cardinals' 21-16 loss to the Texans on Sunday. He also recovered a fumble.
Conner did well with the opportunities he had on the ground, posting his second solid performance since returning from a stint on injured reserve due to a knee injury. Conner also got reintegrated into the passing game, albeit modestly, after being shut out altogether in that department in his Week 10 return. Conner has now cleared the 60-yard mark on the ground in each of his first two games back, sending him into a Week 12 home matchup against the Rams with some momentum.
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Cardinals' James Conner: RBs to Start
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I loved that Conner came back from his four-game absence with a knee injury in Week 10 against Atlanta and immediately got 16 carries, which he turned into 73 yards. I didn't like that he had no targets, and hopefully that's not a sign of things to come. This week, Conner is worth using as a No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues against the Texans, who have allowed a running back to score at least 12.5 PPR points in four of their past five games, including two in a row with Rachaad White and Joe Mixon. This game should be a high-scoring affair, and Conner should have the chance for a quality performance.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Top DFS Play
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Conner shook off the rust in Week 10, now I expect him to work back into his bell cow role in Week 11. In his lst 12 healthy games before Week 10 Conner averaged 19 touches and 93 yards per game. That's a steal at $6,800 on FanDuel. My expectation is that this is the last chance you'll get this year to play Conner at a price below $7,000.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Returns as lead runner Sunday
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Conner (knee) turned 16 carries into 73 yards during Sunday's 25-23 win versus the Falcons.
After a four-game stint on injured reserve due to a knee injury, Conner made his first appearance since Week 5 and immediately took over the Cardinals backfield. His 16 rushes easily outpaced the three combined for reserve backs Keaontay Ingram and Tony Jones, and Conner also ceded just six carries to quarterback Kyler Murray, who saw his first game action in 11 months following last year's ACL tear. As was usually the case before his own injury, Conner wasn't looked at by his QB in the passing game, which is consistent with the two or fewer targets he received in four of five contests to begin the campaign. Conner next will take on the Texans on Sunday, Nov. 19.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Back in action Sunday
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Conner (knee) is active for Sunday's game versus the Falcons, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
After missing the minimum four games on injured reserve and getting activated Saturday, Conner will make his first appearance since Week 5, when he initially sustained a knee injury. He's a good bet to regain a majority share of the Cardinals backfield considering Emari Demercado (toe) is sidelined and Keaontay Ingram and Tony Jones are the only competitors for snaps. In his four healthy appearances this season, Conner took 70 touches for 348 yards from scrimmage and two rushing TDs.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Appears poised for return
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Conner (knee) was activated off injured reserve Saturday and is expected to play Sunday against the Falcons, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Conner is still technically listed as questionable for Sunday's game, but by all accounts, he looks set to rejoin the lineup and reprise his duties as the Cardinals' lead ball carrier. With Emeri Demercardo (toe) out for a second straight game, the runway appears open for Conner to take on a full workload right from the jump. The Cardinals will be getting back not one, but two critical offensive pieces come Sunday, as Kyler Murray (knee) will also make his season debut after being activated from the PUP list earlier in the week.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Listed as questionable
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Connor (knee) remained limited at practice Friday and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Atlanta, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
The failure to progress to full participation perhaps leaves some doubt, while the Cardinals' decision to waive RB Tony Jones on Thursday hints at Conner making his return after missing the minimum of four games. He'll likely get a large workload if the Cards end up activating him from injured reserve before the 4 ET deadline Saturday, as rookie RB Emari Demercado (toe) has been ruled out for a second straight week. Keaontay Ingram is the only healthy running back on Arizona's roster as of Friday afternoon, with Corey Clement being the lone option from the practice squad.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Trending toward playing
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Coach Jonathan Gannon told reporters Friday morning that Conner (knee) is "trending in the right direction for Sunday's game against Atlanta, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
The decision should be apparent by 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, the deadline for players in Sunday games to be activated from injured reserve. The Cardinals designated Conner for an IR return earlier this week and listed him as a limited participant in practice Wednesday and Thursday. Meanwhile, rookie RB Emari Demercado (toe) still hasn't practiced since Week 8 and thus appears in serious danger of missing a second straight game. The decision to waive RB Tony Jones on Thursday is another hint the Cardinals expect Conner to play, as Keaontay Ingram is the only healthy running back on the active roster.
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Cardinals' James Conner: RBs to Start (Start/Sit
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Conner is expected to return in Week 10 against Atlanta after being out for the past four games with a knee injury, and I would put him right back into your starting Fantasy lineup. Prior to getting hurt in Week 5, Conner scored at least 12 PPR points in three of his first four games, and now Kyler Murray (knee) is coming back for the Cardinals also. The Falcons have allowed a running back to score at least 13.6 PPR points in four games in a row, and Conner should get back on track as a No. 2 running back in all leagues in his return to action in Week 10.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Officially limited Wednesday
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Conner (knee) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com reports.
The Cardinals designated Conner for return from injured reserve earlier Wednesday, and the extent of his first on-field work since hurting his knee Week 5 against the Bengals now is known. Conner's limitations in practice indicate that he still has some steps to take to put the health concern in the rear-view mirror, but he at least has two more chances this week to log a full session. Even if Conner doesn't practice fully Thursday or Friday, Arizona has until Saturday at 4 p.m. ET to activate Conner from IR ahead of Sunday's game against the Falcons. With running back Emari Demercado not yet practicing due to a toe issue and quarterback Kyler Murray (knee) seemingly poised to return to action this weekend, the Cardinals may feel compelled to get their top running back on the active roster to give a jolt to the offense.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Cleared to practice
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The Cardinals announced Wednesday that Conner (knee) has been designated for return from injured reserve, Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com reports.
After missing the required four games since being placed on IR on Oct. 10, Conner will have his 21-day practice window opened when first eligible. Depending on how Conner fares over the next three days of practice, he'll have a chance at being activated ahead of Sunday's game versus the Falcons. Quarterback Kyler Murray (knee) also appears set to make his 2023 debut against Atlanta, meaning Arizona's offense could be close to full strength for the first time this season. The Cardinals have leaned on Emari Demercado (toe) in Conner's absence, though the rookie out of TCU wasn't able to play in a Week 9 loss to the Browns due to an injury.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Could be back Week 10
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Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said Wednesday that Conner (knee) is "ready to go" and "excited to get back" on the field, Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com reports.
Though he didn't explicitly say that Conner will be cleared to return from injured reserve when first eligible to play Nov. 12 against the Falcons, Gannon's comments would at least seem to imply that the running back has a good chance at having his 21-day practice window opened during Week 10. While Conner misses a fourth consecutive game this Sunday in Cleveland, the Cardinals are expected to lean on rookie Emari Demercado (toe) as their lead option out of the backfield. Demercado has yet to find the end zone in either of Arizona's last two contests, but he's seen plenty of work with 33 rushing attempts (for 136 yards) and five catches (for 18 yards) between those games.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Officially placed on IR
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The Cardinals placed Conner (knee) on injured reserve Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Conner will miss at least four games due to a knee injury that he suffered this past Sunday against the Bengals. The nature of the issue isn't yet known, but as long as the veteran back is sidelined, the Cardinals' ground game will have to run though undrafted rookie Emari Demercado, Keaontay Ingram (neck), Tony Jones and potentially practice-squad members Corey Clement and Damien Williams. With Ingram still in recovery mode from a neck concern and looking very unimpressive prior to his injury (15 yards on 12 carries this season), Demercado is the favorite to be the team's No. 1 RB.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Multi-week absence expected
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Conner (knee) is expected to miss multiple weeks due to injury and is a candidate to be placed on IR, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The running back was forced out of Sunday's loss to the Bengals in the second quarter, and if placed on IR he will have to miss at least the next four games. An extended absence on Conner's part would leave the Cardinals thin in the backfield, though the team did claim Tony Jones off waivers Monday. Undrafted rookie Emari Demercado gained 57 scrimmage yards and a touchdown on 11 touches after Conner left Sunday's game and is the likely starter in his place. Keaontay Ingram(neck) missed the contest due to injury, and if he isn't able to suit up in Week 6 against the Rams, Jones could be pushed into action as the No. 2 back right away.
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Cardinals' James Conner: May miss time due to knee injury
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Coach Jonathan Gannon said Monday that Conner (knee) could be in line to miss "a little bit of time," Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com reports.
Conner exited Sunday's loss to the Bengals in the second quarter and was unable to return after being diagnosed with a knee injury, the nature and severity of which have yet to be clarified. The Cardinals seemingly signaled that Conner was a candidate to miss a game or games by claiming Tony Jones off waivers Monday, but Gannon also noted that the transaction "doesn't mean anything for James right now." With Arizona slated to play at the Rams this coming Sunday, the team will post its first Week 6 practice report Wednesday, which may provide a better sense of Conner's upcoming availability. Emari Demercado ended up getting 10 carries and three targets in place of Conner in Week 5, turning them into 11 touches for 57 yards from scrimmage and one rushing TD. Meanwhile, Corey Clement continued to stick solely on special teams and reverted to the Cardinals' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's transaction log.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Contrarian DFS Play
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Conner has been legitimately great, but the combination of his age and his team situation mean he won't often be one of the most popular backs each week. This matchup with the Bengals should be a close game and Conner has averaged 19 touches in the three games the Cardinals won or stayed within one score.
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Cardinals' James Conner: Season-low 11 attempts
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Conner rushed 11 times for 52 yards while adding a four-yard reception off of two targets in Sunday's 35-16 loss to San Francisco.
The 49ers took a quick 21-3 lead in this contest, forcing the Cardinals to abandon the running element from its gameplan in the second half. Conner performed well on an individual basis by averaging 4.7 yards on his 11 attempts, which actually dropped his season average to a healthy 5.1 yards per carry through four games. No other Cardinal running back received more than one carry in Sunday's loss, confirming Conner's firm grasp of the starting job as the team prepares to face Cincinnati next Sunday.
