Getty Jacksonville Jaguars RB Leonard Fournette
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette impressed out of the gate in Week 1, but unfortunately, a hamstring injury sidelined him after just nine carries. Ahead of a Week 3 matchup with the Tennessee Titans, fantasy football owners received back-and-forth news.
UPDATE
After the original report, ESPN’s Adam Schefter has revealed the team plans to play it say for Fournette, and that he is NOT expected to play in Week 3.
Jaguars’ RB update:
TJ Yeldon expected to play today.
Leonard Fournette not expected to play today, per league sources.
Jaguars going to play it safe with Fournette.
The running back becomes a sit in all formats for fantasy football owners.
As ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed, Fournette is expected to play on Sunday.
Jaguars’ RB Leonard Fournette, who missed last week due to a hamstring injury and is listed as questionable for Sunday, is likely to play vs. Titans, per source.
Obviously, this is big news, and there’s an easy argument to be made that Fournette should immediately return as a starter to fantasy lineups. Although hamstring injuries are tough to gauge, the Jaguars are unlikely to bring back their young star before he’s 100 percent or very close to it.
Concern Over Injury and Fournette’s Matchup
While it’s impossible to gauge whether a player is truly close to 100 percent after an injury, Jacksonville has little reason to risk Fournette’s longterm health. If he weren’t truly ready to return to action, the 2-0 Jaguars would almost certainly rest him for one more week.
The real topic comes down to Fournette’s matchup with the Titans and also if it’s safe to assume he’ll receive a full workload. The Titans have been fairly tough against opposing running backs this season, allowing 213 rushing yards on 44 carries and only five catches for 20 yards.
Although Tennessee’s numbers against the run don’t look bad, they also don’t tell the whole story. In Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins, veteran Frank Gore averaged a superb 6.8 yards per carry on nine carries. While Kenyan Drake was held in check (14-for-48), there’s no question this run defense is beatable.
The Week 2 matchup with the Houston Texans featured Tennessee playing from ahead through the first three quarters. In turn, Texans starter Lamar Miller logged just 14 carries but totaled 68 yards (4.9 yards per carry).
Consensus: Start Fournette With Confidence
Sometimes diving deeper into the numbers will offer some additional insight. In this spot, I feel fine about using Fournette in all formats as a clear-cut fantasy football starter. The Jaguars boast a run-heavy offensive scheme, and with Fournette back in the mix, I believe he’ll see his workload return to normal, or very close to it on Sunday.
The 23-year-old makes for a great season-long play and could be a low-owned option with big upside in daily fantasy football.
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