James Conner DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Arizona Cardinals veteran running back James Conner (foot) injured his right foot in Week 3 of the 2025 season and has not played for the Cardinals since. However, he was close to returning to the practice field last week and could have his 21-day practice window to return from Injured Reserve opened this week. With the 31-year-old nearing a return, rumors have surfaced that the 2-4 Cardinals could look to dangle Tyler Allgeier before the Nov. 10 trade deadline. Rookie first-rounder Jeremiyah Love (ankle) missed the Week 6 upset win over the division-rival Los Angeles Rams, but he could split the backfield workload with Conner to close out the season if Allgeier were traded. Conner could also be a trade candidate himself, but with his return looming, fantasy managers searching for additional RB depth may want to stash the former third-rounder to see where things wind up. Before his foot injury in 2025, Conner had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in Arizona in 2023 and 2024, and he has over 6,000 rushing yards and 60 rushing touchdowns in his nine seasons in the NFL. Conner is rostered in only 6% of Yahoo leagues right now.

Arizona Cardinals veteran running back James Conner (foot) is getting close to a return but is not quite ready yet, sources told John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports. The Cardinals already have rookie first-rounder Jeremiyah Love, Tyler Allgeier, and Bam Knight on their active roster at the position, so it will be hard to find a spot for Conner and get him any run when he is ready for his 2026 season debut. Gambadoro writes that Conner is basically an insurance policy coming off injury. He can practice, but he is unlikely to get 10 carries a game upon his return. Gambadoro believes that it is more likely that Conner is not moved at the Nov. 10 trade deadline. The Cardinals are not expected to open the 31-year-old's 21-day practice window this week, so he is unlikely to return for the Week 6 contest against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams. Conner played in only three games last year before suffering a season-ending right-foot injury that required surgery. Unless injuries strike Arizona's backfield or Conner gets traded to a more favorable situation, the odds of him carving out any fantasy value in 2026 appear remote right now.

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (foot) remains on injured reserve, and although he is making progress in his recovery from last year's foot injury, there is no timetable for his return to action. Conner has now been sidelined for more than a full year after suffering a season-ending injury in Week 3 of the 2025 campaign. In the time since he picked up the injury, the Cardinals have completely revamped their backfield by drafting Jeremiyah Love and signing Tyler Allgeier. Love has clearly been the more productive of the two backs, but both have played well enough to stay in their respective roles, and Allgeier even has some matchup-dependent RB3/flex appeal. As a result, if Conner is activated at any point this season, it's hard to envision him any higher than third on the depth chart. As long as Love and Allgeier are healthy, Conner is an unappealing option in both redraft and dynasty formats.