Getty Images Leonard Fournette rushing in week one against the Giants.
Finally, at last, the Jacksonville Jaguars get some satisfying news. As Week 10 starts up, their second-year running back, Leonard Fournette is again to practice. The plan has been for Fournette to return after the bye for a few weeks now, but it was unclear whether he would actually be on the right track to a week ten comeback or not.
Ever since the beginning of the season, Fournette has been dealing with a hamstring issue. After taking nine carries in week one, Fournette headed to the locker room to be ruled out for the game. The injury wasn’t expected to be anything long-term, although he missed week two. So, Fournette came back for week three and managed to take on 11 carries before he tweaked his hamstring once again. Since then, he hasn’t practiced, nor played.
As the fantasy season is beginning to hit home stretch before playoffs, many rosters have suffered from a high selection like Fournette on the bench. As he is on track to return week 10, it’s unclear just how much work he’s going to get. You would have to imagine that the Jaguars are going to ease Fournette back into his role.
With T.J. Yeldon doing okay, and Carlos Hyde knowing the playbook and the offense a little bit better, the Jags don’t have to rush Fournette back into taking 20-25 carries. In fact, it’s doubtful that he even gets anywhere close to that. This season is almost scrapped for Jacksonville, and there’s no possible way that they risk Fournette’s long-term health for nothing. So, as a fantasy owner reaching the trade deadline, what should you do?
Sell or Hold Fournette Ahead of the Playoff Run?
If you held onto Fournette through all of this time, then chances are you can’t wait to throw him back into the mix. Here’s a little bit of advice, though. Throw out some feelers to sell. If your team is already doing okay without him, take advantage of his return by making a trade and finding a player that’s sure to help your team.
If you can’t sell Fournette, then have a backup handy. Make sure you can at least get a handcuff with Yeldon, or Hyde. Like I said, Fournette is going to be eased back into his role. By the time the Jags start using him the way they used to, the fantasy season may almost be over. So, sell if you can, and only hold if you have a backup on board already.