James Conner — 2026 Fantasy Outlook

Conner played 13 games in 2022 due to a rib injury that sidelined him for three weeks early in the season and a shin issue that ended his year in Week 18. Despite the lost time, he finished 19th among running backs in PPR scoring with 201.20 points. His most productive stretch came between Weeks 10 and 17, where Conner strung together seven strong fantasy PPR performances (23.60, 13.40, 22.00, 23.40, 18.10, 25.00, and 14.00 points), including one 100-yard rushing game (25 carries, 120 yards, three catches for 20 yards, and a score).

He took another step forward in 2023, posting arguably his best season as a rusher. Conner averaged 5.0 yards per carry, broke off 11 runs of 20 or more yards, and surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his career (208 carries, 1,040 yards, and seven touchdowns) across 13 games before a right knee injury cost him four weeks midseason. He closed the year on a tear, with Arizona feeding him 23.4 touches per game over his final five outings:

25/105/2

14/86/1 with three catches for three yards

112 combined yards, one touchdown, and five catches

26/128/2 carries with a catch for five yards

204 combined yards, one touchdown, and four catches

Conner finished 18th in PPR running back scoring at 201.50 points.

Coming off two seasons with a combined eight missed games, Conner answered durability concerns in 2024 by playing a career-high 16 games and setting new personal bests in carries (236), rushing yards (1,094), and total touches (283). The result was an 11th-ranked running back season at 254.80 PPR points, highlighted by four outings of 20.00 or more fantasy points (22.30, 22.20, 30.80, and 26.60). Three of those explosive performances landed between Weeks 14 and 16 — prime time for fantasy playoff managers. His season ended on a familiar sour note, as Conner exited Week 17 after just 12 plays with another knee injury, followed by him sitting out the final games of the year.

After a slow start to 2025 (32/95/1 – 3.0 yards per rush with eight catches for 38 yards and one score), Conner suffered a season-ending ankle injury that required surgery.