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James Conner 2021 Outlook: Low Upside in Split Backfield
Kenyan Drake out, James Conner in. But it might not be that simple. Drake vacates 16 carries per game, but it's hard to see Conner, who hasn't seen more than 13 carries per game since the 2018 season, take on that large of a workload. Chase Edmonds' workload has increased year-over-year since being drafted by the Cardinals in 2018. Last season, he averaged 6.1 carries and saw 4.2 targets per game. That's up from 4.6 carries and 1.6 targets per game in 2019. Kliff Kingsbury spent a good portion of the off-season singing Edmonds' praises as an every-down back, but with Conner in town, that's highly unlikely to happen. However, it's reasonable to expect Edmonds' workload to increase, which subsequently would mean fewer touches for Conner compared to his predecessor, Kenyan Drake. Expect somewhat of a split backfield, with Conner edging Edmonds slightly in carries, and Edmonds seeing more work than Conner as a pass-catcher. James Conner should be viewed as a mid-RB3, while Chase Edmonds has the receiving upside to finish as a low-end RB2, particularly in PPR formats.
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