Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette has been in the news recently, but not because of his football abilities. Fournette apparently reported to minicamp weighing 260 pounds, more than expected. He later showed up to training camp at 245 pounds, losing most of it by entering the sauna multiple times, causing concerns from athletic trainers.
Beyond that, Fournette missed over three games due to injury in both prior seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and 18 games total since entering the league in 2017. Last year, he missed the final three regular-season games and the Divisional Round matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.
But when healthy, Fournette has proven he is an elite contributor to Tom Brady's offense. Mostly a starter in 2021, he finished the regular season with 812 rushing yards, 454 receiving yards and a total of 10 touchdowns. Also, his performances in the postseason gave him the nickname “Playoff Lenny,” meaning he is a key piece to Tampa Bay's Super Bowl hopes.
Although the questions surrounding his weight and injuries are out there, it is difficult to not have him high on draft boards of fantasy leagues. With that being said, here is the fantasy football outlook for Leonard Fournette in the 2022 NFL season.
Leonard Fournette 2022 Fantasy Football Outlook
Even though he missed some games in 2021, Fournette was still able to produce quality numbers, enough to make him a top-10 running back in fantasy football. The 27-year-old averaged 90.4 yards per game, and as a dual threat in the running and receiving game, he is someone to keep an eye on.
Fournette is usually very efficient when targeted. He caught 82% of the passes intended for him and averaged 6.6 yards per catch. Only two other running backs had better numbers than Fournette last season.
Should he return to his former self, Fournette can be one of the most valuable assets in the Buccaneers' offense. Fans can expect Brady to target the former LSU Tiger more, especially if they are in close games.
Tampa Bay also had many signicant moves this offseason. The team lost two of its top tight ends as Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement and O.J. Howard signed with the Buffalo Bills, with Kyle Rudolph coming in as the new top tight end. The Buccaneers also just brought in Julio Jones after signing Russell Gage earlier in the offseason.
But with Chris Godwin recovering from an ACL injury, Fournette could get some extra targets early in the season due to his veteran experience. However, it is good to remember that the Buccaneers used a third-round pick to select running back Rachaad White out of Arizona State. As the weeks go by, Brady and the offense could also start to focus more on the rookie, taking away some of Fournette's participation in games.
The veteran's 14% target share might have a slight decrease if White gets incorporated to the offense early on. But with White being only in his first year, Fournette could still have an increased presence in case White is not ready to become a starter in the league just yet.
If the receiving game is a bit in question, his running presence has a big chance of increasing. Tampa Bay let Ronald Jones II walk in free agency, and he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. While they let Jones walk, the Buccaneers trusted Fournette and gave him a three-year contract worth $21 million. This represents the trust the team has in the veteran, and fans should expect to see the trust translate on the field.
Leonard Fournette should be a solid second-round pick in most fantasy football leagues. If he is able to stay healthy throughout most of the season, he can definitely outplay his draft selection.