Trey Benson

Running Back James Conner is a great example of resilience. After taking the starting role as a true freshman for the Pitt Panthers, James Conner became the top back in the nation as a sophomore. He ran for 1,765 yards and scoring 26 touchdowns. Junior year comes around Connor tears his MCL in the opening game, shortly after he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Conner was thankfully cancer free by the offseason. Conner was able to return and have a productive final season in Pitt along with showing his versatility. He increased his season high in catches from 5 to 21.

James Conner has come a long ways from his cancer diagnosis and dealt with numerous injuries. Conner has never started more than 13 games in a season, but when on the field he has been a productive back. Conner’s best years have come in Arizona after a 4 year stint with the Steelers. That is expected to continue according to Cardinals beat writer Johnny Venerable. The other backs are Michael Carter and rookie Trey Benson. Venerable expects Carter to be RB2, with the rookie learning from the vets. Should Conner miss anytime, Benson is expected to become the lead back.

Fully expect Conner to continue to be the back he has been since arriving in Arizona. In his 3 seasons as a Cardinal Conner has finished as RB 7, 9 and 13, despite not appearing in every game. Conner is currently listed as RB27 in ADP, which is an absolute steal. He is not the flashy back you want but he is the one fantasy drafters want in the late rounds of every draft. As long as he is healthy, Conner has the potential for 20 point games.  Look for the Cardinals to take full advantage of that.