Jaylen Samuels, Stevan Ridley Fantasy Outlook After James Conner Injury Update

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Samuels is suddenly the hottest name on the fantasy football waiver wire after head coach Mike Tomlin announced Tuesday breakout sensation James Conner will miss the team's Week 14 game against the Oakland Raiders with an ankle injury.

Conner's strong play, highlighted by 1,376 yards from scrimmage and 13 total touchdowns, had earned him a near monopoly on the Steelers' backfield touches.

Now the focus will shift to the team's three reserve options: Samuels, Stevan Ridley and Trey Edmunds.

The hype around Samuels, a fifth-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft, has already reached a fever pitch following the update on Conner's status:

Mike Tagliere of FantasyPros provided an intriguing side note for those who play on Yahoo Sports:

Although it's no surprise to see Samuels generating so much attention, there are a couple things to keep in mind before placing your playoff hopes firmly on his shoulders.

First, he's yet to handle a full workload during his rookie season. He's tallied 12 carries for 31 yards (2.6 YPA) and seven catches for 54 yards with two touchdowns through 10 appearances in 2018.

Second, Tomlin told reporters the Steelers' "intention" is to use a committee at the position until Conner is cleared to return from his ankle sprain.

So while it's easy to get excited about Samuels' upside, he shouldn't be viewed as anything more than a mid-level No. 2 running back or flex option for Week 14. He shouldn't overtake proven options at the key position given the uncertainty about his number of touches.

His value is a little higher in PPR formats since he should be the main option on passing downs, but he still won't reach No. 1 RB level until his workload is made more clear. And it's not guaranteed that will happen before Conner is healthy.

Meanwhile, Ridley is worth a fantasy roster spot, particularly in standard formats. He could end up splitting the carries with Samuels pretty evenly on the early downs.

Edmunds, the brother of Steelers safety Terrell Edmunds, will be looking to make his team debut after spending the first three months of the season on the practice squad. He's probably best left on the free-agent market for now, but that could change if either of the team's other replacement options gets hurt.

All told, Samuels is the running back to own from Pittsburgh and should sit atop the waiver-wire list for any running back-needy team for Week 14. Just be careful not to overvalue the rookie and start him over safer commodities because there's bust potential with Tomlin focused on establishing a committee.