James Conner start or sit: Week 5 fantasy football advice

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner saw a high volume of work in his last time out and made fantasy managers happy with a pair of touchdowns. He will get a matchup with the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday afternoon of Week 5.

Fantasy Football analysis: Cardinals RB James Conner

Conner carried the ball 18 times for 50 yards in last weekend’s victory against the Los Angeles Rams for just 2.8 yards per carry, which is obviously extremely underwhelming with that much usage, but he punched in two 1-yard touchdown runs to make for a big fantasy day. Short touchdowns seem to be Conner’s value at this point as he averages just 3.2 yards per carry through four games. Chase Edmonds was the far more effective back with 120 yards on 12 carries, but he missed Wednesday’s practice earlier this week due to a shoulder injury, so this is something to monitor. The 49ers rank No. 16 in rushing yards allowed per game this season.

Fantasy Start/Sit Recommendation

Conner is a running back No. 3 or a flex option if Edmonds is able to suit up for the Cardinals. However, if the shoulder injury is enough to keep Edmonds out of the lineup, Conner can definitely be slotted into the No. 2 running back slot on fantasy rosters.