Week 15 vs. Buffalo Bills
James Conner is set to return this week, but don't expect him to go back to a full workload. He'll probably play around 60% of the snaps, picking up some of the slack in the passing game for Jaylen Samuels. The Bills will give up some yards on the ground, but Conner is more of a low-end RB2 in his first game back after sitting out five of the past six weeks with a shoulder injury.
Week 11 at Cleveland Browns
James Conner will return to the lineup after missing the past two games with a shoulder sprain. He returns to face a Cleveland defense that allows 4.9 yards per carry and 139 yards rushing per game. This is a nice, juicy matchup. The last time he played, Conner ran for 145 yards on 23 carries. He'll also get all of the goal-line work. Conner is a nice, solid RB2 option, at worst, this week.
Week 9 vs. Indianapolis Colts
James Conner has been dealing with an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder after rushing for 145 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries while also catching two passes for 10 yards. Some players have been able to play through an AC joint injury, so there's some hope Conner will be capable. But he'll likely wind up being a game-time decision. If he plays, the Colts offer a juicy matchup. They allow 4.8 yards per carry and have allowed five touchdowns to opposing running backs.
Week 8 vs. Miami Dolphins
James Conner has averaged just under 40 yards rushing per game thus far in a disappointing season, though he does lead the Steelers in receptions and has scored five touchdowns to keep himself fantasy relevant. Conner is healthy coming out of the bye week after suffering a quad injury in the Steelers' last outing. He should be a very strong play this week against a terrible Dolphins run defense.
Week 6 at Los Angeles Chargers
With Mason Rudolph out and his backup Jaylen Samuels sidelined, James Conner gets to be the main man for the Steelers. And given the team has a bye next week, it wouldn't be surprising if 30 touches are in the cards here. But he'll be running into loaded boxes. As for Conner, he produced 14 carries for 55 yards last week, both season highs, but was not targeted with a pass against the Ravens. Look for at least 20 carries and more work in the passing game this week, which should make Conner an RB1 play.
Week 5 vs. Baltimore Ravens
James Conner owners were rewarded for their patience with his best game of the season last week, though he only had 42 official yards rushing. He had eight receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown, though many of those "catches" were forward pitches on jet motion or in the Wildcat. It's an NFL loophole, but Conner owners will take it. Nick Chubb just tore of the Ravens defense last week and Baltimore has been reeling since shutting down the Dolphins in Week 1, giving up 461 yards per game since. Conner is a solid RB2 option this week.
Week 4 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
James Conner had a season-high 13 carries for 43 yards last week, also catching four passes for 14 yards. But it was his fumble late in the game that set up the 49ers' game-winning score. But the 17 touches were promising, even if the results were not. This week, he faces a Cincinnati defense that is allowing 168 rushing yards per game. If Conner is going to get back on track, this is a game for it to happen. He's an RB1 start this week.
Week 3 at San Francisco 49ers
James Conner has gotten off to a slow start, kind of like the Steelers in general. He had 11 carries for 33 yards and a score last week, adding three catches for 12 yards before leaving in the second half with a knee issue. He says he's fine and should play this week against the 49ers. The Steelers will work harder to run the ball moving forward to help protect young QB Mason Rudolph, so Conner should benefit. At the very least, he should get more than the 10.5 carries he has averaged in the first two games. At the very least, he's a solid RB2 option this week.
Week 2 vs. Seattle Seahawks
James Conner got just 10 carries for 21 yards last week but salvaged the day with four catches for 44 yards. Offensive coordinator Randy admitted he probably got away from using Conner too early in the loss to the Patriots, so look for that to change this week, even though the Seahawks did a nice job last week shutting down the Bengals' running game. Conner should get between 15-20 touches in this game, including in the passing game, making him a low-end RB1 play this week in a tough matchup.
Week 1 at New England
James Conner missed the meeting with the Patriots in 2018. But backup Jaylen Samuels torched the Patriots for 142 yards on 19 carries as New England loaded up to stop Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster. The Patriots figure to play things a little more straight up in this one to keep Conner from going off. But he's looked good in the preseason and should be a solid start in this game. The Patriots were below average last season against opposing running backs.
