Fantasy Football: Undervalued, sleeper RBs to target in drafts in 2023
By Devin Lange
James Conner, Cardinals
Positional rank: RB25
Average draft position: 66
Joe Mixon figures to be on arguably the best offense of any running back on this list, while James Conner figures to be on arguably the worst offense, and worse team, of any running back on this list. Of course, that is no fault of his own. Starting quarterback Kyler Murray will not be available for the beginning of the season, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was just cut, edge rusher JJ Watt retired at the end of the season, and the list goes on.
The team has many holes and few bright spots, but amongst the bright spots is Conner. He is the unquestioned featured back on the Cardinals and has the talent to be the unquestioned featured back on other NFL teams. While there are no trade rumors involving Conner at the moment, I wouldn’t rule out him being dealt before the trade deadline if the Cardinals are losing and want to continue tanking.
As it stands, though, Conner’s current team will likely struggle to pass and will be forced to commit to the run. When healthy, Conner is capable of being a workhorse. He is a physical runner who has a nose for the end zone. He is also a capable pass catcher who can help move the chains. While he has missed games in all six of his seasons, he’s never missed more than 10. When playing, he’s always effective. He has two top-10 PPR fantasy football finishes, and was top-10 in points per game in 2022, averaging 15.3 FPTS. Being drafted as RB25 in the 5th or 6th round, Conner is the best value on this list.