Leonard Fournette 2023 Outlook
Fournette does not want to wait too long to earn another ring. “I really feel like whatever team I sign with, we’re winning the SUPERBOWL,” he tweeted in May. He may be best known as “Playoff Lenny,” but Fournette can still bring it September to January as well. The only question now is his next team. Still just 28, Fournette still has plenty of ability to contribute to an NFL offense (and a fantasy lineup). He remains a threat to break off a high-yardage run. He was targeted in the passing game 83 or more times in three of his past four seasons. He’s durable and hasn’t quite left his prime. The right mix is there. The problem is, wherever he signs almost definitely has its RB1 already in place, so Fournette’s carry share might not be worth drafting him for. That goes double if he really only wants to consider Super Bowl contenders, which should rule out a reunion with the rebuilding Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Leonard Fournette 2022 Outlook
Fournette re-signed with the Buccaneers on a three-year, $21 million deal in March after ranking sixth among all NFL running backs with 1,266 yards from scrimmage last year. He averaged a career-best 4.5 yards per carry before being place on injured reserve with a hamstring injury in Week 15. After signing his second one-year deal with the Bucs last offseason, Fournette, 27, rushed for 812 yards and scored 10 total touchdowns. He also caught 69 passes for 454 yards. His best game came in Week 12, when Fournette, in addition to delivering a memorable halftime speech when the Bucs fell behind, rushed for 100 yards on 17 carries and had seven receptions for 31 yards. The last of his four touchdowns in that 38-31 victory was a 28-yard run with 29 seconds remaining. After backing up Ronald Jones for the majority of the 2020 season -- an experience that he and the coaching staff believe humbled him and helped prolong his career -- Fournette seized the opportunity when Jones suffered a broken finger, went on the reserve/COVID-19 list and suffered a quad injury in Weeks 15 and 16. Now, with Tom Brady back at the helm of this offense, Fournette's return is an ideal outcome for fantasy managers. Another top-10 finish is well within the range of possible outcomes. In fact, it's likely if Brady continues to lean on him as a receiver.
Leonard Fournette 2021 Outlook
Fournette re-signed with the Buccaneers on a one-year deal worth up to $4 million. He arrived in Tampa via free agency following a surprise release from the Jaguars -- the team that selected him fourth overall in the 2017 NFL Draft -- just before the start of the regular season. He joined a crowded backfield on a team that was preparing to make a run at a title in its first year with Tom Brady under center, and managed to carve out a contributing role in the regular season, rushing 97 times for 367 yards and six scores, but also spending three weekends on the inactive list. But Ronald Jones suffered a broken finger in late December, went on the reserve/COVID-19 list and suffered a quad injury, forcing him to miss Weeks 15, 16 and the wild-card game at Washington. Fournette delivered 225 total yards and four touchdowns in that span, including 93 yards and two touchdowns against Washington, earning the nickname "Playoff Lenny" -- which ultimately morphed into "Lombardi Lenny." With the return of Fournette, the Bucs have all 22 offensive and defensive starters back from their championship team and fantasy managers have yet another split backfield to navigate.
