Steelers RB James Conner Is Ready for Resurgence
Last season, Conner massively disappointed fantasy football owners. However, the young running back is already preparing for a monster year in 2020. After finishing 33rd among backs in standard league points in 2019, the Pittsburgh product will at least reclaim a top-15 spot among his position.
In the absence of Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh’s entire offense suffered miserably last year. Other key Steelers skill players like Vance McDonald and JuJu Smith-Schuster took big hits, from a fantasy football perspective. However, Roethlisberger should start in Week 1 and begin restoring his fallen offense.
Roethlisberger’s injury made Pittsburgh almost one-dimensional last year. Defenses could target the team’s running game without the fear of retaliation through the air. Devlin Hodges and Mason Rudolph aren’t scary quarterbacks, especially when they face well-coached defenses.
While Big Ben’s return should alleviate some defensive pressure and increase Conner’s role in the passing game, the running back still faces personal questions. Injuries caused Conner to miss six games last year, and he played 390 fewer snaps than he did in 2018.
Injuries remain a concern for Conner and fantasy football owners, but the running back worked hard to get physically stronger this offseason. He posted some images of his rebuilt frame on Twitter recently. After two injury-shortened seasons, the former Pro Bowler vows to stay healthy in 2020.
As Conner enters the final year of his rookie deal, the running back still has a lot to prove. However, with the former Pro Bowler getting healthy, Roethlisberger returning, and Benny Snell not showing anything special last season, Conner should put on an impressive performance in 2020.
