Fantasy Alert: James Conner Unlikely to Play vs. Rams Because of Shoulder Injury

Pittsburgh Steelers running back James Conner is reportedly unlikely to play Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams because of a shoulder injury.

Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported the news.

When Le'Veon Bell engaged in what proved to be a season-long holdout last year, Conner became the Steelers' primary call-carrier in 2018. He gained 1,470 yards from scrimmage and caught 13 touchdowns en route to his first Pro Bowl.

The third-year star has struggled to reach that level again in 2019. He has run for 380 yards and four touchdowns on 97 carries while catching 29 passes for 236 yards and two scores.

Highlighting his bad luck, Conner injured his shoulder during his best performance as he went for 145 yards and a touchdown in Pittsburgh's Week 8 win over the Miami Dolphins.

The Steelers (4-4) haven't gone completely off the rails following Ben Roethlisberger's season-ending elbow injury, but they're at risk of missing the playoffs for the second straight year.

The offense will take another step backward if Conner is forced to miss more time than just Sunday's contest, although it can turn toward the combination of Jaylen Samuels and Trey Edmunds.

Fantasy players can likely trust either as an emergency flex option considering their production in Pittsburgh's Week 9 win over the Indianapolis Colts while Conner was sidelined. Edmunds impressed with 12 carries for 73 yards, while Samuels was a point-per-reception league weapon with 13 catches for 73 yards.

Both are worth consideration assuming Edmunds plays through a rib injury he is dealing with, per Noah Strackbein of Sports Illustrated.