Week 11 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
In his first game since the end of September, Leonard Fournette blew through the Colts defense for 109 total yards and two TDs. While he was held to just 2.2 yards per carry, fantasy owners have been holding on to the Jags RB, hoping for him to return from his hamstring injury and finally bust out. Fournette received 24 of the team’s 34 rushing attempts and will continue to be the workhorse now that he’s healthy. Pittsburgh is fourth at stopping the run, but there is no way Fournette should be left on your bench.
Week 10 at Indianapolis Colts
After missing the past four games, Leonard Fournette is hoping to be on the field this Sunday in Indianapolis. So far, it’s been a wasted season for Fournette but, if he’s healthy enough to play, he has a great matchup against a Colts defense that has had trouble stopping any opponent. Be sure to monitor the injury report and insert Fournette back into your lineup if he’s cleared to play.
Week 5 at Kansas City Chiefs
Before re-aggravating his hamstring injury last Sunday versus the Jets, Leonard Fournette carried the ball 11 times for 30 yards. He has just 20 carries this season and, due to the recent setback, will likely be out for a while.
Week 4 vs. New York Jets
After practicing for most of last week, the Jaguars decided to keep Leonard Fournette out of last week’s contest versus the Titans. He has missed the last two games but is expected to return Sunday. Without Fournette, Jacksonville ran for just 87 yards in the loss to Tennessee. As long as he’s cleared to play, Fournette needs to be back in your lineup versus a Jets defense allowing over 100 yards per game on the ground.
Week 3 vs. Tennessee Titans
After missing last week’s game with a sore hamstring, Leonard Fournette is expected back on Sunday versus the Titans. Tennessee is allowing 134 yards per game on the ground, so it’s a no-brainer to insert Fournette back into your starting lineup if he’s healthy enough to play. He may even see more touches than normal with T.J. Yeldon battling an ankle injury.
Week 2 vs. New England Patriots
In Week 1, Leonard Fournette left in the second quarter with a hamstring injury. Prior to leaving, he ran for 41 yards on nine carries and caught three passes for 14 yards. In the AFC Championship game versus the Pats in January, Fournette ran for 76 yards and a TD. He is still questionable for Sunday, so be sure to monitor the injury report for his status.
Week 1 at New York Giants
During his rookie campaign, Leonard Fournette ran through defenses for over 1,000 yards and nine scores in 13 games. He averaged over 20 carries a game and will see most of the team's rushing attempts again in 2018. Fournette is listed at our No. 6 RB in the opener at the Giants and should get off to a good start toward his second 1,000-yard season.
Fantasy Upside
Fournette started out fast last season, raising everyone's expectations for a potent ground game as he rushed for 596 yards in his first six games. But he tailed off noticeably, tallying less than 80 yards in seven of his last 10 games, including two of the team's three playoff games. Fournette produced 100-yard performances against the Texans, Steelers, Rams, Browns and Seahawks, imposing his will as he powered through would-be tackles and ran away from defenders. But in other games, like against the 49ers (48 yards) and the Cardinals (25 yards), he missed a few rushing lanes and was easily bottled up. The good news? The Jaguars reinforced their commitment to the run game and addressed one of their most pressing needs (interior offensive line play) by signing the best lineman on the free-agent market in Andrew Norwell, a move which should definitely help Fournette, who flashed more than enough to give the Jaguars plenty of encouragement going forward.
Fantasy Downside
Fournette had only four runs of 20 or more yards, which included touchdown runs of 75 yards against the Los Angeles Rams and 90 yards against the Steelers. In hopes of improving that aspect of his game, Fournette opened training camp at 223 pounds, the lowest since he played at St. Augustine High School in 2013.
2018 Bottom Line
Entering his second season, Fournette will need to improve his consistency and patiently wait for plays to develop instead of trying to hit every hole at 100 miles per hour. From a fantasy perspective, however, the workload and potential will be enough to keep him in well inside the top 10 of running backs.
AFC Conference Championship at New England Patriots
Leonard Fournette gained 109 yards and scored 3 touchdowns on 25 carries last week, adding 2 catches for 10 yards against the Steelers in what was a better outing than the previous week against Buffalo. If Jacksonville's defense can keep the Patriots from getting out to a big lead, Fournette could be okay if he's able to get around 20 touches. But the Patriots limited Derrick Henry to 12 carries last week. Fournette, however, has been catching enough passes of late that he should be the No. 1 fantasy RB this weekend.
Divisional Round at Pittsburgh Steelers
Leonard Fournette got 21 carries last week but managed just 57 yards. He did add 3 catches for 21 yards but it was a disappointing effort against one of the worst rushing defenses in the league. But with Blake Bortles struggling to throw the ball, there's no reason to think Fournette is going to break out. In fact, the 2.7 yards per carry he averaged last week is right in line with what he's been doing in recent weeks. Fournette should get enough touches to make him a solid fantasy play, but he's not going off for 181 yards on 28 carries as he did against the Steelers earlier this season.
