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Dynasty Watch 2017 Rookie & Former Pitt RB James Conner

pghrob

By pghrob,
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zamboni

zamboni 6,670

Posted
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1 minute ago, Scooby1974 said:

 What are the chances that Bell holds out and Conner produces something this year? At least for a few games where he's a bell cow.

He is being picked up in a lot of leagues, I'm guessing with deep benches where he can be stashed?

I doubt Bell holds out into the season. I view Conner as a great stash in case Bell gets hurt and possibly as a future starter if Bell leaves next year. Possible local boy makes good story.

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pecorino

Then let’s go with the “something else” premise. Dude is a cancer survivor. Wuss doesn’t belong anywhere near his name, 

apalmer

If you watched the game, it was pretty clear that he wanted back in. Tomlin apparently decided Snell was doing well enough that there was no reason to play an injured running back.  Pretty weird claim

BassNBrew

Probably wouldn't have passed the physical.

brewer

brewer 254

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I like Conner in best ball format for that reason and the fact that Lev Bell has missed games due to injury in the past.  Conner has also had his share of injuries obviously, but for where he is going in most drafts, I think the risk is worth the potential reward.

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Tanner9919

Tanner9919 392

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420 touches for Bell last season means there's a high probability that he does not sniff those numbers this season. comes in out of shape. Pitt starts with Cleveland week 1? Connor should get at least 15-20 carries with/without Bell at the game. late round flyer !

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Bracie Smathers

Bracie Smathers 3,554

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Named best RB from this year's preseason.

PFF's 2018 NFL All-Preseason Team

Quote

 

RUNNING BACK

James Conner, Pittsburgh Steelers – 82.5

The absence of Le’Veon Bell has dominated the talk in Pittsburgh, but it is another Steelers running back who was our top player at the position during the preseason. Averaging 4.2 yards after contact per attempt, and avoiding five tackles, Conner showed that he is no slouch with the ball in his hands.

 

 

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Bracie Smathers

Bracie Smathers 3,554

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Ramon Foster On James Conner: ‘When You’re Ready, You’re Ready. He’s Ready’ 

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...Even if his teammates are confident that Bell will be here in short order and ready to participate when the Steelers open the regular season on the road on Sunday, there is also support for second-year running back James Conner, who has been working as the first-team running back all offseason, going back to the spring.

Ramon Foster, the second-longest-tenured player on the roster behind quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, expressed a great deal of confidence in the former Pitt star, telling Jeremy Fowler earlier today that Conner “busted his ###” this year. “When you’re ready, you’re ready”, he said. “He’s ready”.

...If for some reason Bell is not on the field for the Steelers on Sunday in Cleveland, the offense is going to be behind Conner, and they won’t hesitate to put the load on his shoulders. While he will be complemented by Jaylen Samuels and Stevan Ridley, he would be the guy. He’s earned it. He’s ready. Just ask his teammates.

 

 

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Buckna

Buckna 1,384

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Starting him in two leagues, both in lieu of Bell.

Dynasty: Hunt and Cook are my other two starting RBs so starting Conner over Anthony Miller in my flex spot. Miller probably has a higher floor since it is PPR but Conner should have a higher ceiling IMO.

Redraft: 16 team league. Starting him and Carson over Peyton Barber

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Hilts

Hilts 4,297

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3 hours ago, sped1103 said:

Starting him over Alf Morris at Flex

Wow. Starting him over a starting running back who is expected to receive the bulk of touches? I don't care how bad of a matchup that is for Morris - it's still guaranteed touches. That's a bold benching.

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ConnSKINS26

ConnSKINS26 5,718

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4 hours ago, Hilts said:

Wow. Starting him over a starting running back who is expected to receive the bulk of touches? I don't care how bad of a matchup that is for Morris - it's still guaranteed touches. That's a bold benching.

 

lol. Wasn't Conner expected to receive the bulk of touches? Easy to say now but don't think this was as big a ballsy move as you made it out to be

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Hilts

Hilts 4,297

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5 minutes ago, ConnSKINS26 said:

 

lol. Wasn't Conner expected to receive the bulk of touches? Easy to say now but don't think this was as big a ballsy move as you made it out to be

Yeah, definitely. I'm an idiot. I was bouncing between this thread and the TE/rb eligible backup to Conner and thought I was in that thread. Benching Morris for Conner was an easy call even then. 

 

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FGITLOTR

FGITLOTR 343

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5 hours ago, Bracie Smathers said:

Ian Rapoport‏Verified account @RapSheet

FollowFollow @RapSheet

#Steelers game week meetings begin in 20 minutes and RB Le’Veon Bell is not present again. Looks like James Conner starts again.

5:38 AM - 12 Sep 2018

Not much will change for the next 8 weeks. 

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kyoun1e

kyoun1e 896

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3 hours ago, FGITLOTR said:

Not much will change for the next 8 weeks. 

I feel like there's three spots Bell could/could have returned:

* Week 1: Get it over with, get right with the team, have a full season.

* Week 8: After the bye week. Maybe during the off week cooler heads prevail. Bell will have avoided half the season.

* Week 10 (or is it 11?): Has to be back.

I just don't see him back before week 8. Why bother at this point?

For that reason, wondering if an offer of an RB3 would be enough to get L. Bell in trade. Gotta think Bell owners may be thinking the above. May be too soon.

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msommer

msommer 8,981

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4 hours ago, kyoun1e said:

I feel like there's three spots Bell could/could have returned:

* Week 1: Get it over with, get right with the team, have a full season.

* Week 8: After the bye week. Maybe during the off week cooler heads prevail. Bell will have avoided half the season.

* Week 10 (or is it 11?): Has to be back.

I just don't see him back before week 8. Why bother at this point?

For that reason, wondering if an offer of an RB3 would be enough to get L. Bell in trade. Gotta think Bell owners may be thinking the above. May be too soon.

Fourth, immediately prior to the October 30 trade deadline (not sure what week that is)

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Faust

Faust 5,004

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Steelers OC Randy Fichtner admitted he "probably just needs to do a better job heating up" James Conner with more carries early in games.

"It’s just like quarterbacks, too," Fichtner continued. "You get into a rhythm. And all good running backs, they need that rhythm." Conner has been a relative disappointment Weeks 2-4 following his huge opener. Over the last three games, Conner has rushed 24 total times for 97 yards and one touchdown, adding 13 catches. The catch numbers are nice, but that's not a Le'Veon Bell-type workload on the ground after Conner went 31-135-2 as a runner in Week 1. This week presents a huge get-right spot for Conner and the Steelers offense against a depleted Falcons team.

Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Oct 5 - 9:23 AM

 

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Bojang0301

Bojang0301 2,246

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While all anyone can talk about is the guy staying at home to ride jet skis, rain on trashy strippers and get fat... the other does this.

Quite frankly, I’m tired of talking about Bell. Conner is the RB5 in PPR. While his ground stats are lacking some he’s averaging 4.57 ypc when he’s gotten over 15 carries this season. His 10.9 ypr is probably unsustainable but is an impressive number for someone considered not elusive or as a pass catcher a year ago. He’s been targeted the same clip as Bell and he’s done damage evading tacklers (leading the league last week with 12). NFL Next Gen has a new stat that compares expected YAC vs total YAC to attempt to measure YAC actually created by the player in question. Conner has been in the top 20 two weeks this season. His timed speed looks to be a deception as he has measured over 20 mph once already this season and has shown good burst.

Everyone is holding their breath until the Bell situation plays out (even have heard someone like Mike Clay say to sell him) but this may be a great time to buy. When the Pitt brass decide they are done with someone they tend to not let it linger. When the tide turned to say that Bell is fully on the block I think that was an indication that the FO wants him gone and wants to move forward with Conner. Now, I’m not sure Conner will ever match Bell at his peak with a 4.9 ypc but to only call him adequate or a fill in is doing him a disservice for how he’s played so far. At very least, in dynasty I think people still may not know what they are holding for the long term.

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Faust

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James Conner rushed 19 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns in the Steelers' 28-21, Week 6 win over the Bengals.

He added four catches for 18 yards on seven targets. The NFL's leading tackle-shedder, Conner showed it in this one, consistently bulldozing would-be tacklers and injuring a couple along the way as S Shawn Williams was concussed on one of the long runs. Conner's scores were both of the one-yard plunge variety. He should have had a third touchdown but was ruled down at the one before getting stuffed on 1st- and 3rd-and-goal runs. A premier RB1, Conner's workload will now be subject to question with Le'Veon Bell expected to report to the team during the Week 7 bye.

Oct 14 - 4:12 PM

 

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LionOfGosforth

LionOfGosforth 183

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1 minute ago, irish eyes said:

Bell who?

Bell may well be "better" but i've loved following this guy this year and rooting for him, not just from a fantasy perspective (though he's had some huge games and that's been fun too) but also on a likeable human level. Even if Bell comes back and eventually takes over the majority of the plays, I think Conner will still get some work, he's done too much good this year not to.

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Faust

Faust 5,004

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James Conner rushed 24 times for 146 yards and two touchdowns while catching 5-of-6 targets for 66 yards in Sunday's Week 8 win over the Browns.

Conner started off slowly, notching just 33 yards on the ground with 12 yards on one catch in the first half. He then wore the Browns out in the second half, rushing for 14 times for 113 yards and both scores after the break with four catches for 54 yards after the break. He broke long runs of 30 and 22 yards, the latter a game-ending dagger for a touchdown that put the Steelers ahead 33-12. Conner now has four games with over 100-yards rushing and two touchdowns on the season. It remains to be seen when Le'Veon Bell actually returns to the team, but Conner is a set-and-forget RB1 option until that happens, even against a stout Ravens defense on the road in Week 9.

Oct 28 - 4:25 PM

 

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Bracie Smathers

Bracie Smathers 3,554

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James Conner etches name into Steelers record book

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...Hall of Famer Franco Harris never did it. Neither did Hall of Famers Jerome Bettis, John Henry Johnson and Bill Dudley. And no, Le’Veon Bell didn’t do it, either.

In the 86-year history of the Steelers, James Conner is in a class by himself, the franchise’s first running back with three consecutive games with at least 100 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns...

 

 

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