Through the first three weeks of the NFL season, Leonard Fournette was somewhat of a let-down in fantasy football. Then, in Week 4, the Jacksonville Jaguars running back came alive with 225 yards on 29 carries en route to a 26.5 fantasy-point performance.
With that in mind, can Fournette be a top-five running back in fantasy football for the rest of the season? To put it simply, the answer to that question is a resounding yes.
When Nick Foles suffered a shoulder injury that landed him on injured reserve, everyone's optimism for the Jaguars began to dwindle. As a result, everyone envisioned Fournette's fantasy value taking a huge hit for the rest of the season.
On the contrary, the LSU product has improved his fantasy-point total every week since Week 1. Regardless of who is under center, Fournette has been the focal point of Jacksonville's offense in the first month of the season.
As a matter of fact, Fournette trails only Nick Chubb and Christian McCaffrey for total touches this season. Altogether, the bruising rusher has touched the ball 88 times with T.J. Yeldon no longer stealing touches from him this season.
With those 88 touches, Fournette has accumulated 518 yards from scrimmage this season (third-most in NFL). The only players ahead of him in that statistic is McCaffrey and Dalvin Cook.
Unlike previous seasons, Fournette appears to be a consistent receiving threat for the first time in his career. In the first four games, the third-year running back has caught 16 passes for 114 yards. Fournette's career-high in receptions in a single-season is 36 of them in 2017.
While Minshew has been nothing short of spectacular, Fournette has aided him in keeping the offense afloat in Foles' absence. Against the Denver Broncos in Week 4, the Jaguars featured rusher flashed his ability to create offense by himself.
During the game on Sunday, Fournette took a handoff for an 81-yard scamper that gave Jacksonville the chance to take the lead in the third quarter. This play (among others) showcased the potential that he has in John DeFilippo's offensive system.
The most impressive aspect of Fournette's season so far is that he is currently the ninth highest-scoring running back in fantasy, despite failing to record a touchdown in the month of September.
In light of that, the touchdowns are due to come soon and his value in fantasy football should skyrocket. As long as he continues to remain healthy and he is given a healthy workload, Fournette will be a top-five option at the running back position for the rest of the season.
Follow Us
Subscribe