James Conner and Kenneth Walker are two running backs from the same division but with different qualities between them. Nevertheless, for Week 6, if it's up to one starting place between the pair of them, the right answer could surprise you.
Is James Conner a good pick in Week 6?
The Green Bay Packers have improved their run defense, but 4.4 yards per carry remains a vulnerable number and teams will be able to exploit this. For Conner, who's amassing 4.6 yards per carry, there's a good opportunity to run the ball consistently on Sunday.
Conner has great value in Arizona and has been playing at a high level since the 2023 season. He also has value as a pass catcher in PPR leagues as he represents a nice checkdown option for Kyler Murray, who's playing well. Arizona is 2-3, but not because of its offensive players — the loss to Washington was insane.
Is Kenneth Walker a good pick in Week 6?
Walker undoubtedly has more quality than his NFC West counterpart, but the matchup is horrendous. The Seattle Seahawks will miss a bunch of key players on defense, which means that the San Francisco 49ers' strong offense is set to pick them apart.
As a result, they'll have to pass the ball more — and Walker will see fewer carries. His average this season is a strong 5.5 yards per carry, but he's not expected to hit that mark against San Francisco during Thursday Night Football.
Whom should I start between James Conner and Kenneth Walker in Week 6?
Sportskeeda's Start/Sit Optimizer has James Conner ranked as a better option. It's just that the matchup is better, and the game flow will also have the Cardinals' star getting more passes out of the backfield than what Walker is expected to do.
That doesn't mean that Walker is a bad option. He has been playing well, has a favorable matchup in terms of how many yards per carry the 49ers allow (4.7) and also has some presence in the passing game. But the situation isn't favorable to him on Thursday.
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