(Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Heinz_Field_2010.JPG and under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
As we gear up to the start of the NFL season, Football Absurdity is going to bring you a comprehensive breakdown of every notable player that will be available in fantasy football drafts. When you don’t see us talking about Christine Michael or Mike Davis, don’t get mad at us for neglecting your favorite sleeper. Get mad at yourself for having bad taste in football players. We are only focusing on the top-rated running backs in standard scoring and points per game leagues.
With my player profiles, I’ve only decided to go back to look at their fantasy scoring for three years. I could show you lists from earlier, but most of the guys at the top are no longer in the league anymore. I’ve also added a chart for their usage over that time span. We will try to determine, based on those two factors, where the best running back value lies.
James Conner ADP and AAV
Standard: 8th among running backs. 10th overall.
PPR: 8th among running backs. 12th overall.
James Conner Average Auction Value (AAV) $200 Budget: $44
Stats:
FANTASY SCORING — STANDARD
| Rank | Total Points | PPG Rank | PPG | |
| 2018 | 7th | 225.0 | 7th | 17.3 |
| 2017 | DIDN’T DO MUCH | |||
FANTASY SCORING — PPR
| Rank | Total Points | PPG Rank | PPG | |
| 2018 | 6th | 280.0 | 7th | 21.5 |
| 2017 | THAT WAS RELEVANT | |||
FANTASY USAGE
| Carries | Carries Per Game | Targets | Targets Per Game | |
| 2018 | 215 | 16.5 | 71 | 5.5 |
| 2017 | TO HIS PROJECTIONS | |||
Overview: If you owned James Conner last year, you spent a lot of time very happy. He was easily the surprise breakout player of 2018. However, his production dropped in the second half of last season due to injury. The question is can he duplicate his 2018 production. Jeff Krisko pointed out a very interesting stat regarding Conner to me today. Since Mike Tomlin became the head coach of the Steelers, they have had the 2nd most running backs with 20 or more touches in a game. Simply put, Pittsburgh running backs are gonna feast.
Strategy: Our James Conner Auction Value ($200 Budget): $50
We know that the Steelers will lean on their running backs and we know that James Conner is the starter. That means that you want as many shares of James Conner as you can. If anything, he might be undervalued currently.
Best Case Scenario: The best case scenario is that Conner ends the season as a high-end RB1.
Worst Case Scenario: The worst case scenario is that the departure of Antonio Brown means James Conner cannot handle the increased workload and injuries and game planning become more of a concern, limiting his production.
