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As the 2019 NFL season approaches, that means only one thing. That would be the fact that the 2019 Fantasy Football season is right around the corner as well. In the next couple of months, players will be looking at their respective drafts and trying to figure out how they want to build their team this year.
One of the most important positions in fantasy drafts is running back. There are so many teams looking for two of the quality backs that a bad draft strategy could mean a bad running back duo, which bodes badly for the team's overall chances at winning the league.
James Conner is one of the most intriguing running backs in the entire draft this year. After taking over for Le'Veon Bell last season, Conner showed big-time talent. With Bell officially out of town, the running back job in Pittsburgh is his and he will likely be utilized as a workhorse.
During the 2018 season with the Steelers, Conner ended up carrying the football 215 times for 973 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also caught 55 passes for 497 yards and a touchdown. Finding dual-threat running backs isn't easy and Conner has the talent to be one of the best in the NFL.
All of that being said, where should you look to target Conner in your draft this year?
First, let's take a look at players who could go go higher than Conner at running back. Names like Alvin Kamara, Le'Veon Bell, Saquon Barkley, Ezekiel Elliott, Christian McCaffrey, and Melvin Gordon will likely go ahead of Conner. He is in the second tier of running backs that include Todd Gurley, David Johnson, Joe Mixon, Nick Chubb, and Dalvin Cook.
Plenty of players will target a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes or Drew Brees in the first round. Other players will prioritize wide receivers like Michael Thomas, Odell Beckham Jr., Julio Jones, and Davante Adams. That leaves Conner sitting in the rounds three to five area.
An ideal situation would have Conner being a team's fourth or fifth-round pick. They would have gotten a wide receiver, quarterback, running back, and either a tight end or another running back. Targeting him in the fourth or fifth round would be ideal.
You know what you're going to get with Conner. You're going to get a guy who carries the ball 15-20 times per game, sometimes more than that. He is also going to get you a few receptions at least each game and could have massive games as a receiver out of the backfield.
Pittsburgh lost both Bell and Antonio Brown, which opens up an even bigger role for Conner. He shouldn't be your No. 1 running back, but he is going to be a top-notch No. 2 option.
Expect to see teams target Conner in rounds four or five. If you want to take a risk on him in the third round, go for it. He isn't going to have many weeks where he doesn't produce a big game.
Conner could be the kind of player that takes a good team over the top and into the Fantasy Football championship in 2019.
