Week 17 vs. New England Patriots
Leonard Fournette is back on the fantasy radar even though he only got five carries and played 11% of the snaps last week. The Bills didn't hesitate to use him in some key spots so you have to think they will use him more going forward to spell James Cook.
Don't bother to pick him though as it might be more likely to happen in the playoffs than in the last two weeks of the season. Keep Fournette on the waiver wire.
Week 17 vs. Carolina Panthers
The Bucs leaned heavily on Leonard Fournette last week as he saw 29 total offensive touches for 162 scrimmage yards. Broken down, Fournette ran 20 times for 72 yards and caught nine passes for 90 yards. Fournette touched the ball 29 times on 49 snaps, which is nearly a touch on 60% of his snaps. We may not see quite that volume again this week, but it shows the Bucs aren't scared to give Fournette the ball still despite the presence of rookie Rachaad White. Although things could get difficult this week as Fournette draws a tough matchup vs. the Panthers (9th aFPA). Fournette struggled against Carolina earlier in the season, rushing eight times for 19 yards with two catches for seven yards. In fact, it was his worst game of the season in terms of total yards. Despite that, he should still be viewed as a solid RB2 option in Week 17. He's been a really strong receiving threat throughout the year, averaging nearly five catches a game.
Week 16 at Arizona Cardinals
Leonard Fournette continued to split touches and playing time with Rachaad White last week. Fournette saw 10 carries compared to White's 11 and saw four targets compared to White's two. In total, Fournette had 74 scrimmage yards last week with no touchdowns. Fournette should continue to see a high level of production as he draws a favorable matchup vs. the Cardinals (29th aFPA) this week. His ceiling is a little capped due to the split touches, but he's still a very viable option. We like Fournette as a lower-tier RB2 option for Week 16.
Week 15 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Leonard Fournette only ran four times for 13 yards last week, but he continued his heavy role as a receiving back, catching 6-of-7 targets for 33 yards. Fournette now has six receptions in back-to-back games and he's averaging a solid 4.6 catches per game this season. If he keeps that production up then he'll set a career high for receptions in a season. This week, Fournette gets an OK matchup vs. the Bengals (17th aFPA) where he should continue to split touches with rookie running back Rachaad White. Fournette should be viewed as a decent RB3/flex option for Week 15.
Week 14 at San Francisco 49ers
Leonard Fournette and Rachaad White had a fairly even split in terms of touches last week. Fournette ran the ball 10 times (for 49 yards) compared to White's nine attempts, and both backs finished with six receptions. Overall, it was a solid game for Fournette, who had 81 total scrimmage yards. Things could get tough for the two backs this week, though, as the Bucs draw a brutal matchup vs. the 49ers who have given up the fewest average fantasy points to running backs this season. San Francisco has given up a league-low 677 rushing yards to running backs this season, which equates to 56 yards per game. Which split between two backs doesn't leave much production. The 49ers have also given up the eighth-fewest total receiving yards to running backs. Fournette should be viewed as an RB2 play for Week 14.
Week 13 vs. New Orleans Saints
Leonard Fournette (hip) has gotten in some full practice reps this week, and he even has an extra day to heal with Tampa Bay playing on Monday night. We'd expect Fournette to be active again, but his role is in question due to the emergence of rookie Rachaad White. Fournette saw 26 touches when he played the Saints earlier in the year, but we'd be shocked if he hit that number again in Week 13. Instead, we're projecting more around 10 touches for Fournette this week in a fairly tough matchup vs. New Orleans (12th aFPA). Fournette is a low-end flex option for Week 13.
Week 12 at Cleveland Browns
Leonard Fournette played a season-low 29% of the offensive snaps in Week 10, but he still had a productive game. Fournette ran 14 times for 57 yards and a touchdown while catching one pass for one yard. Fournette saw rookie Rachaad White run the ball 22 times, as it seems there's been a shift in this Bucs' backfield. Even if there is a shift, Fournette still holds enough value to be a solid low-end RB2/flex option in fantasy. The Bucs seem to like him as their goal line back for touchdowns, and Fournette still has a few games where he catches a handful of passes to boost his stats in PPR. Fournette faces a favorable Browns defense this week, a defense that's given up the second-most average fantasy points to opposing running backs.
Week 10 vs. Seattle Seahawks in Germany
Leonard Fournette struggled on the ground once again as he ran nine times for 19 yards. He made up for his lack of production as a receiving threat, catching five of his seven targets for 41 yards. The Bucs' rushing attack has been ugly lately, especially when it comes to Fournette. In his past three games he's ran the ball 26 times for 62 yards. He also continues to split touches with Rachaad White as the rookie had 11 touches in Week 9. There was a report from CBS that Fournette was "extremely frustrated" after being replaced by White in a drive during last week's game. Still, even with the ground struggles and split touches, Fournette has managed to stay relevant with his heavy use as a receiving threat. He should continue to be a solid play in Week 10 as he gets a decent matchup vs. the Seahawks (22nd aFPA). In fact, Seattle has given up the 5th-most total receptions to running backs this season. Fournette should be viewed as a strong RB2 play this week.
Week 9 vs. Los Angeles Rams
Leonard Fournette has struggled on the ground this season. After a great performance in Week 1, Fournette is averaging 2.85 yards per carry in the seven games that followed. Thankfully for fantasy owners, he's managed to find the end zone a lot, scoring five times in his last five outings. And in that five-game span, Fournette has averaged 5.6 receptions per game. So while Fournette hasn't been a dominating force on the ground, he's found other ways to contribute, and is RB8 (half-PPR) at this point in the season. We'd expect a similar script this week as Fournette draws a tough matchup against the Rams, who have given up the 2nd-fewest average fantasy points to running backs. The Rams have also allowed the 2nd-fewest receiving yards to running backs (151) this season. Fournette should be viewed as an RB2 play this week in a tough matchup.
Week 8 vs. Baltimore Ravens
Leonard Fournette easily had his worst game of the season last week. He ran eight times for 19 yards, and caught just two passes for seven yards. His 26 scrimmage yards were a season low, and his 10 touches matched a season low (although his seven receptions in the previous low were valuable for PPR). Fournette also played a season-low 60% of the offensive snaps while rookie Rachaad White saw a season-high 43%. Fournette is still the clear leader of this backfield, but Tampa Bay has been getting White more involved lately. Fournette gets an OK matchup against the Ravens this week. Baltimore's been tough on the run, but has allowed the 4th-most receptions to running backs this season, and most of Fournette's success this year has come as a receiver. He'll be a strong RB2 play this week.
