Cover Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images


Pittsburgh Steelers running back James Conner has been a fantasy stud this season, but there's an air of uncertainty about how his value will change when Le'Veon Bell finally returns to the team.


However, there's a chance that Conner's fantasy stock might not take as big a hit as originally expected.


After his monster 111-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 6, QB Ben Roethlisberger had plenty of praise for Conner, implying that he wants the back to have a big role in Pittsburgh's offense even when Bell returns.

Having Roethlisberger go to bat for Conner is huge and should definitely carry weight both in the locker room and the Steelers' front office. More importantly, though, it should be noted that Pittsburgh's offense hasn't skipped a beat without Bell in the backfield.


Conner has actually been as, if not more, productive than Bell, which is a pretty impressive feat considering Le'Veon earned First-Team All-Pro honors last season.

With almost no drop off in production between the two backs, you can't help but wonder if Bell is really worth the money he thinks he is.
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​Based on media speculation, Bell is expected to return to the Steelers in Week 8 once the team comes off its bye. However, if he does, Conner should still have a significant role going forward and will remain, at worst, a FLEX option in most fantasy leagues. The numbers simply speak for themselves.

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Mike Esposito is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Mike Esposito also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username espo6891. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.