James Conner COVID Update Could Boost Benny Snell Fantasy Outlook

James Conner will likely miss the Pittsburgh Steelers Week 12 game against the Baltimore Ravens, as he's been placed on the covid-reserve list. It doesn't sound like he's been definitively ruled out quite yet, but at the very least he now appears to be a serious long shot to suit up in Week 12.

This news puts Benny Snell on the fantasy radar, but given how Pittsburgh's offense has operated recently, he's not someone you want to trust in fantasy.

James Conner is the #Steelers player who tested positive for #COVID, multiple sources tell me. He is awaiting a second test tomorrow to confirm these results. Contact tracing continues. And as w/ every positive case in the #NFL and country... here’s to recoveries and good health.
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) November 28, 2020

Benny Snell Fantasy Outlook

While working as Pittsburgh's clear-cut RB1, Conner has only averaged 11.7 carries per game over his last three outings. Ben Roethlisberger, meanwhile, is attempting 44.7 passes per game during that same three-game stretch.

This offense clearly doesn't need to run the ball to be successful. And it's fair to assume Snell would receive even less of a workload than Conner normally would, meaning he isn't a lock for double-digit carries.

His Week 12 matchup certainly won't help matters, either.

Baltimore is the league's fourth-best rush defense, per Football Outsiders' DVOA metrics, and the Ravens surrender bottom-12 fantasy production to opposing RBs.

Even if he starts in place of Conner, Snell is not someone you want to rely on in Week 12. Plus, the schedule changes only complicate things further. If the game is forced to move, fantasy managers won't have any backup options, as the matchup is currently set for Tuesday night.

Unless you're truly desperate, it's best to avoid Pittsburgh's backfield this week.

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Max Staley is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Max Staley also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mstaley1212. 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.