James Conner or Josh Jacobs: Who’s the better fantasy draft pick in 2022?

When you have a fantasy football roster made up of players who are weekly “must starters,” creating your rosters becomes a lot easier. The goal for any fantasy owner is to assemble a team full of set-it-and-forget-it players. While having depth on the bench is nice for bye week, having these undisputed weekly starters on your team can take you to a fantasy championship.

Two players who have fallen into this set-it-and-forget-it mold throughout their careers are RBs James Conner and Josh Jacobs, but will that be the case again this year? Let’s break down which back is the better choice for fantasy owners looking for an all-season RB2.

DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2022 Fantasy Cheat Sheet

James Conner Fantasy Outlook, Projection 2022

Conner starts 2022 after his best season since 18, finishing as RB9 in PPR formats and RB5 in standard scoring leagues. His bounce back year resulted in the Cardinals signing a three-year, $21 million ($13.5 million guaranteed) extension, and Arizona ran fellow RB Chase Edmonds.

Conner has a real shot at dwarfing his numbers from a season ago now that there’s no RB on the list worthy of an extra workload. The Cardinals brought in Darrel Williams from Kansas City, but given the effectiveness of sophomore Eno Benjamin and rookie Keaontay Ingram, there’s a chance Williams will be cut if the Cardinals cut their roster to 53 players. Despite all of that, Conner is the No. 15 RB according to FantasyPro’s ECR, which might be a bit low given his cap and chance.

PPR RANKINGS 2022:
QB’s | RB’s | WRs | TEs | D/STs | foosball | Top 200 | Superflex

Now that there isn’t much competition for snaps, Conner can blink. In six games without Edmonds last season, Conner saw an 81.5 percent snap rate, resulting in nearly 17 carries and five receptions with a TD per game. A similar stat line on a weekly basis would catapult Conner into RB1 status.

Another important part of Conner’s fantasy appeal comes from what he does in the red zone. While some might say Conner is due for a TD regression given his 18-TD performance last season, he ranked third in carries inside the 10-yard line (28) and second in carries inside the five-yard line (16). Conner was also extremely efficient in passing, scoring 94.9 percent of his goals (37 of 39) for 375 yards last season. He also ranked first in yards per goal among RBs with 30+ goals.

STANDARD RANKINGS 2022:
QB’s | RB’s | WRs | TEs | D/STs | foosball | Top 200 | Superflex

Conner is always an injury concern when drafted, but he avoided a serious injury in 21 and missed just two weeks of the regular season with a right heel injury. According to the DraftSharks injury prediction, Conner is being labeled a “high-risk” player who is expected to miss 2.5 games this season. Even if Conner were to miss time, he’s still a worthwhile draft pick at his ADP. Additionally, with WR DeAndre Hopkins suspended for the first six games, Fantasy owners can expect an even heavier workload from Conner.

Depending on how you go about the first two rounds, if you get a chance to draft Conner as your RB2, go for it. You can even opt for a top-notch WR and TE in the first two rounds, and bet on Conner as your RB1 in both Standard and PPR formats.

2022 FANTASY THRESHOLDS:
QB’s | RB’s | WRs | TEs | D/STs | One from each team

Josh Jacobs fantasy outlook, projection 2022

Jacobs has been a consistent fantasy producer since arriving in 2019, ranking in the top 15 fantasy scores per game in PPR formats in each of his first three seasons.

Despite his reliable performance from the backfield, Las Vegas declined to take Jacob’s fifth-year option before the start of the season, and 22-23 could be the last time he runs for the Silver and Black. New head coach Josh McDaniels is from New England, a place known for using multiple RBs, which doesn’t bode well for Jacob’s fantasy prospects in the future.

RANKING 2022 & DRAFT STRATEGY:
QB’s | RB’s | WRs | TEs | D/STs

The Raiders are reportedly leaning toward an RB by committee that includes Jacobs, former Patriot Brandon Bolden, Ameer Abdullah nine years ago and rookie Zamir White. A four-back committee all season would dashed Jacobs’ hopes of finishing as a top-15 RB, and as a result, he’s someone you really should avoid at his current ADP.

Jacob’s skills are not the problem. After being used primarily as a rusher, he demonstrated his ability to assist Derek Carr as an under threat, notching 21 career-best 54 receptions for 348 yards. Chances are everything in fantasy football, and without a clearly defined role as an all-down defender, he’ll need to be wildly efficient with limited touches to end up as a weekly regular.

AUCTION VALUES 2022 (Standard & PPR):
QB’s | RB’s | WRs | TEs | D/STs | foosball | In total

While those two were a solid comparison early last season, given the different trajectories of their team’s backfields, Conner has a massive advantage in terms of his projected end-of-season fantasy performance. Jacobs could move back into the top 15 if another Raiders RB gets injured or doesn’t play to McDaniel’s liking, but having to rely on something in that area doesn’t make it enticing enough to put him in the same league as Conner.

The choice is… Conner, by a landslide.

For RotoBaller’s take on Conner vs. Jacobs—or four other players you’re considering in your draft—watch her exclusive Who to Draft? tool below:

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