Is James Conner playing on Monday night? Fantasy injury update for Steelers-Bengals (Updated)

Matt Lutovsky

Is James Conner playing on Monday night? Fantasy injury update for Steelers-Bengals (Updated) image

Plenty of fantasy football seasons will be on the line Monday night when the Steelers take on the Bengals, and the last thing fantasy owners need is a "questionable" key player. But that's exactly what they'll be dealing with in Week 15 with James Conner, who's causing worry with a quad injury in addition to lackluster recent play. Nonetheless, a favorable matchup has Conner on the start 'em, sit 'em bubble, so fantasy owners will need to know the latest injury updates before locking in their all-important lineup decisions. 

We'll continue to update this post with news on Conner up until the active/inactive report comes out on Monday at about 6:45 p.m. ET. For all the latest fantasy updates, follow us on Twitter @SN_Fantasy.

MORE MNF: DK Showdown lineup | FD Single-game lineup | Betting preview

Is James Conner playing on Monday night?

UPDATE: ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday afternoon that Conner will not play against the Bengals.

A quad injury limited Conner in practice on Thursday and Friday, but there hasn't been any indication yet that he will miss Monday night's game against Cincinnati. 

WEEK 16 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

Of more concern for Conner owners is the Steelers' recent inability to run the ball. Conner managed just 18 yards on 10 carries last week, and the week before, starter Benny Snell ran for five yards on eight carries. Cincinnati sports the 28th-ranked run defense, allowing 131.7 rushing yards per game and 4.6 yards per carry, so this figures to be a spot where Pittsburgh can establish the run, but obviously there's some risk involved in starting Conner, as he could be limited for a team that doesn't run that much to begin with. 

WEEK 16 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

Ultimately, we still see Conner as a high-end flex/low-end RB2 thanks to the matchup. He's also always a candidate for a short touchdown thanks to Pittsburgh's high-powered offense. If Conner is scratched, Snell would likely see the bulk of the carries and be worth using as a flex. 

Matt Lutovsky

Matt Lutovsky Photo

Matt Lutovsky has been a writer and editor for The Sporting News since 2007, primarily writing about fantasy sports, betting, and gaming.