Just like basically everyone else on the Ravens and Steelers, running back James Conner is on the COVID-19 reserve list and will not play in their Wednesday night clash with Baltimore. Conner joins fellow running backs Jaylen Samuels and Trey Edmunds on the inactive list, meaning it will be the Benny Snell show this week. But taking into account Conner’s past medical issues, Snell is not only a Week 12 fantasy must-stream (if you’re still hanging onto Wednesday hope still), but he’s also a Week 13 fantasy waiver wire target and a handcuff for Conner owners. So while Conner gets healthy, Snell will be the horse in Mike Tomlin’s backfield.
“I have no reservation about Benny Snell as a featured runner,” Tomlin said when asked about the backfield.
Over the last two seasons, Snell has averaged 3.8 yards per carry on 165 attempts. In 2020 alone, he’s carried the ball 57 times for 195 yards and three touchdowns. But, he hasn’t carried the ball more than 10 times in a game since Week 1, when he broke out for 113 yards on 19 carries against the Giants.
When looking at this week, Snell rushed for 91 yards and a score on 18 carries against the Ravens last year. With Conner out, Snell has limited, but interesting competition in the Steelers’ backfield. Anthony McFarland Jr is a rookie out of Maryland who was one of Graham Barfield’s favorite running backs in this year’s rookie class. McFarland broke his ‘yards created‘ statistic, putting up an all-time ranking in college. However, McFarland has only 67 yards on 20 carries this season.
Looking forward, there is no reason why Snell should still be available in 65 percent of leagues. If you have space before Wednesday, you should stash him off the waiver wire — especially if you own Conner. Either way though, Snell’s upside as Conner’s handcuff is off the charts due to his potential usage in the Steelers’ workhorse offense and Conner’s injury risk.
Snell is up to RB42 (+17 vs ECR) on The Wolf’s Rest of Season Rankings.
