The Buffalo Bills made headlines Monday when they signed running back Leonard Fournette to provide depth to the room currently consisting of starter James Cook and Latavius Murray according to Jordan Schultz. It's definitely a major signing, and as always with those type of news on the offensive side of the ball, there is going to be fantasy football implications.
There's going to be natural questions about this move, especially if you're the one who has fantasy football stock in Cook this season. Most likely, you're stressing that Cook's chances as the featured back are starting to drift away because of Fournette. You're probably already fielding trade offers for Cook. Slow your roll, take a deep breath, and let's analyze this situation.
Cook still has major opportunity in this offense in the short-term, while Fournette does not. The key word in that previous sentence is “short-term.” His usage towards the end of the season is a different discussion. Let's talk about a couple aspects involving this move.
Fournette needs to get acclimated to the playbook
The Bills getting Fournette based on what he did previously is valid enough of a reason to sign him. However, it's going to take time to build him back up to where he once was physically and mentally in terms of getting acclimated to the playbook. The last time he played was the NFC Wild Card game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in January of this year, so he's been waiting patiently in free agency for a team to throw an offer.
Don't expect Fournette to come into the Bills' next game and get 10 or more carries right from the jump. It's going to be a gradual process for him to get into the shape of things. However, when playing with his original team in the Jacksonville Jaguars and eventually with the Buccaneers, he was bell-cow back that was a physical runner, but also had the ability to catch passes. There was times where former Buccaneer Tom Brady would use Fournette as his safety valve.
In the meantime, Cook will still be “the guy” in Buffalo who's been with the organization since he was drafted in the second round of the 2022 draft. In terms of fantasy football output, he's the No. 16 ranked running back according to ESPN. They allowed former starter Devin Singletary to walk away in free agency because they liked what they saw in Cook to be their featured back. So far, he's paid off and has been a good player whether it's in reality or in fantasy football.
It's hard to see the Bills stray away from Cook even with this signing. For the most part, it seems like a move to add depth.
Fournette vs. Cook
Should fantasy football managers try to pick up Fournette once the waiver wire is active for the next week? Honestly, it's a tough answer. This could be one of those moves that's way more positive in real life for the Bills than it is for fantasy football usage.
Bills fans can get to witness first-hand “Playoff Lenny” who has shown to thrive in the late parts in the season and most notably in the post-season. Will that help managers though is the question? Like alluded to earlier, he's worthy of a bench spot in the case that Cook gets hurt, but even then, he could split with Murray if the injury happens sooner.
Another possible way Fournette could be used, because of how physical he is, is that he could be a vulture for rushing touchdowns which would most certainly anger every Cook fantasy football manager. To look on the bright side though, Cook has the luxury of knowing the system and fitting in with how fast-paced the Buffalo Bills like to run their offense. For Fournette, it could take some time getting used as he's learning the playbook and getting into football shape.
Immediate usage?
So if you are a Cook manager and are panicking at the recent news, don't worry about it just yet. Once Fournette incrementally gets more and more carries by the week, then start strategizing accordingly.
It will be interesting to see if they use Fournette at all this Sunday in a huge AFC matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, even under short notice. While everybody is different, he could possibly pick up the offense quickly and be an X-factor to surprise the Bengals.
While the Bills are known for their explosive offense, they've been inconsistent this season on that side of the ball and possibly Fournette is the spark the team needs to get back in rhythm.
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