James Conner

After four injury-plagued seasons in Pittsburgh, Conner signed a one-year prove-it deal with Arizona last season, where it was thought he might work in a committee with Chase Edmonds when he wasn't on the shelf. Instead it was Edmonds who was the less durable of the two backs, and Conner erupted in the lead role with an incredible 15 rushing touchdowns and over 1,100 scrimmage yards, the second-best total of his career. The big campaign earned him a three-year deal with the Cardinals and another chance at a No. 1 role. Conner did most of his damage in the red zone, with all 15 of his scores on the ground coming inside the 20-yard line, a total that led the league. It's a good thing he was able to find the end zone so often though, as otherwise his performance wasn't all that impressive. Poor offensive line play contributed to his 3.7 yards per carry, as Conner's 1.6 yards before contact per carry was the second-worst mark in the league, while his difficulties staying healthy cropped up again late in the year when he missed two games with a rib issue. Conner's physical running style will always leave him injury-prone, but with Edmonds now in Miami he doesn't have a lot of competition for touches in the Cardinals' backfield. Significant regression in the TD department could be the bigger threat to his value than any games he might miss, however. Read Past Outlooks