Getty Avoid drafting LeVeon Bell in the first round of your fantasy draft.
Le’Veon Bell’s holdout has complicated fantasy football drafts, especially for those with one of the top picks. Where should you draft Bell given he has not reported to the Steelers with just days to go before the season starts? I would not use a first round pick on Bell, there are too many other top players with similar value that you can select without having to take on the risk that comes with Bell.
Steeler’s Nation reported fans should not expect Bell before Week 10.
Reading between the lines tells us that Bell is worried about the Steelers running the wheels off of him for one last hurrah. Bakari did not offer any explanation, just left it at that. He went on to say that Bell would arrive when he arrives. Time will tell when that is, but we expect it could be past mid-season when the running back arrives. If you have Bell on your fantasy team, now would be the time to get James Conner.
I won’t be taking Bell before Round 3 in my drafts, which means I am okay not having Bell on my teams. There are too many players in the top 30 that can help me win my league who I know for sure are going to play. For all his talent, ask yourself if Bell is going to be giving 100 percent effort even if he did report, given he is on the final year of a deal on a team that looks like it is willing to move onto younger options in 2019. It is understandable to take a risk on Bell, but anyone who drafts him without also selecting James Conner (the expected starter in Bell’s absence) is playing with fire.
ESPN’s Matthew Berry noted on Fantasy Focus that fantasy owners should be hitting the panic button if Bell did not show up by Wednesday. It’s Wednesday, and it is officially panic button time.
So, No Le’Veon Bell in the 1st Round. Where Should You Draft James Conner?
While I am inclined not to draft Bell given he still has an ADP of No. 2, I am looking to get James Conner if the price is right. Conner’s ADP of 176 per Fantasy Pros does not factor in recent drafts where Conner’s value is skyrocketing. I am looking to draft Conner as soon as Round 9 in my drafts. Jaylen Samuels is even worth a late-round stash as he is expected to get some of Bell’s passing downs work. Samuels has even more value on sites like Yahoo where he has can be played as both tight end and running back.
NFL Network’s Aditi Kinkhabwala reported Conner is expected to get a bulk of the carries without Bell.
“Mike Tomlin asked if he feels more comfortable w/ his RB room outside Le’Veon Bell than last year. Says: ‘Yes.’ Asked why. Says: ‘James.’ James Conner, there you go,” Kinkhabwala tweeted.
Can you have faith in Conner? He’s not Bell, but he was a monster at Pitt. Conner had 1,092 yards and 16 touchdowns his final college season. Conner also pitched in 21 receptions for 302 yards and four receiving touchdowns. This was after Conner battled cancer. Prior to the illness, his sophomore season he rushed for 1,765 yards and 26 touchdowns. Conner is more than capable of being a fantasy stud. Here’s some highlights of Conner doing work during the preseason.
