James Conner Injury Update Boosts Benny Snell Week 13 Fantasy Outlook

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Benny Snell saw a heightened role in Week 12 with James Conner sidelined due to COVID-19 protocols.

Although Conner is eligible to come off the reserve list, he is unlikely to play on Monday against the Washington Football Team, boosting Snell's Week 13 fantasy outlook.

Steelers' RB James Conner is eligible to come off the Reserve/COVID list on Monday, but it still considered unlikely that he will play against the WFT, per sources. It's looking like another week of Benny Snell Jr.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 6, 2020

Conner's is Pittsburgh's clear RB1, averaging 14.5 rushing attempts and 64.5 yards per game in 10 appearances. Conner has 10 touchdowns this season, including five as a receiver, showcasing his dual role within the Steelers' offense.

Benny Snell Fantasy Outlook

Snell was averaging 5.7 attempts for 19.5 yards per game entering Week 12's matchup with the Ravens. However, with Conner out, Snell saw 20 opportunities (16 rushes plus 4 targets) and earned 93 yards from scrimmage. The running back provided a solid 12.3 fantasy points (PPR) for his Week 12 efforts.

Snell played in 71% of his team's offensive snaps against the Ravens, and he should continue to see heightened involvement with Conner expected to be out in Week 13 and little RB depth behind him.

On the negative side, Snell will face a Washington defense that is ranked fifth in Football Outsiders' defensive DVOA metric and is giving up the third-fewest fantasy points per game (19.24) to RBs this season.

Snell's high potential workload still makes him a worthwhile consideration for fantasy managers in need of an RB2 or FLEX option this week.

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