James

Conner

Conner was set to hit free agency after the season, but Arizona decided to lock him up before it came to that. The 29-year-old running back is 15th in scrimmage yards with 993 in 11 games so far this season. While it’s unclear how much of Conner’s deal is guaranteed, it’s unlikely that the extension for the two-time pro bowler will cause significant salary cap issues for Arizona in the future. This extension seals last year’s third round pick Trey Benson’s fate as purely a handcuff for at least another year.

Conner averaged an inefficient 1.1 yards per carry against the Seahawks, with most of his fantasy production coming off his usage in the receiving game. He peeled off pass protection to catch a checkdown from Kyler Murray more than once, inflating his fantasy output to the tune of five catches for 41 yards. He did not get many red zone chances in a subpar day for the Cardinals offense. Volume puts Conner in the RB2 mix for Week 13 against the Vikings.

In what would become the Cardinals’ Week 10 theme, Conner made himself available when Kyler Murray was pressured on the opening drive, taking a 44-yard catch-and-run pass down to the Jets’ one-yard line. The play was initially called as a touchdown but it was overturned upon review after the officials spotted Conner’s poorly placed glute muscle grazing the grass just outside the end zone. Jonathan Gannon then gave Conner two tries to punch it in, yielding Conner’s fifth touchdown of 2024. He is on bye in Week 11 but returns to RB1 status against the Seahawks in Week 12.

Conner (147 touches) is tied for the position’s seventh-highest touch count entering Week 10 and fantasy managers can safely expect him to handle his typical high-volume workload. He is an RB1 against the Jets.

Conner briefly left Week 9 for a concussion check but never seemed bothered by the finger injury. He ran 18 times for 107 yards and caught three balls for another 12 yards. The finger issue shouldn’t limit him going forward. He will remain a volume-based RB2 versus the Jets this week.

Conner briefly exited to get checked for a concussion but was quickly cleared and got back to dominating the Bears’ defense. While no field-tilting plays were made, Conner routinely knifed through the Bears’ defense on runs up the middle, accurately reflected in his 5.9 yards per carry average. Week 10 sledding will be tougher against the Jets but Conner remains a talent- and volume-based RB1/2.

Conner hit the ground hard after leaving his feet while being tackled. He was taken for a concussion screening and returned to the field shortly thereafter, showing no ill effects from the play. Conner is efficiently averaging 5.9 yards per carry against the Bears.

Conner was dreadful in the first half, rushing eight times for 14 yards. He then lost 10 yards on his first carry of the second half while trying to salvage a broken play. Like the rest of the Arizona offense, Conner turned things around later in the game. He ran eight times for 31 yards and a touchdown on Arizona’s final two drives of the game. Despite the inefficient performance, the Cardinals held the faith with Conner and only gave backup Trey Benson one carry. Still seeing all of the work for the Cardinals’ backfield, Conner will stay in the RB2 ranks for his upcoming matchup with Chicago.

The only thing Conner failed to do in this one was find paint after functioning as the primary point of emphasis for a Cardinals team that pulled off the upset at home. Most notably, a timely fumble recovery after a 41-yard reception from Jalen Reagor at the three yard line allowed the Cardinals to control the flow of the game on the ground, keeping the ball away from the elite run offense of the Chargers in the process. Conner continues to see reliable volume for a Cardinals team suddenly just one game back for the division lead.

Demercado, who had just seven touches over the past three games, came out of nowhere to function as the primary pass-catching back in trailing game script. He ran a route on 26 of the Cardinals’ 39 drop backs and was second on the team in targets. Meanwhile, James Conner and Trey Benson split the early-down workload and were phased out of the game when the Packers built a big lead. Demercado could be useful in deeper fantasy formats if this usage holds.