The Buffalo Bills backfield has mostly belonged to RB James Cook throughout the majority of the 2023 NFL season. However, after Latavius Murray outscored Cook against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football with a season-high 14.9 fantasy points, should you consider making newly signed RB Leonard Fournette a speculative add in your fantasy football league in Week 11? Let’s take a closer look.
Should Leonard Fournette Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 11?
Let’s start by giving an update on Fournette. He was signed to the Bills practice squad a couple of weeks ago, but he has not yet been activated for a game yet. It is entirely possible that he is still getting acclimated with the playbook, that the team felt comfortable with the backs on the roster heading into Week 10, and that the coaching staff simply decided to wait another week before adding Fournette to the 53-man roster.
Fournette had a disappointing 2022 season by most accounts but still managed to generate 1,191 total yards and six TDs on 262 total touches. Sure, his efficiency plummeted playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in the league, but he still proved competent enough to earn the trust of quarterback Tom Brady as a pass-catching option, which isn’t always easy to do.
Fournette’s three-down skill set could present some issues for Cook or Murray for the fantasy playoffs if the team decides to bring him up to the active roster. While his game-breaking power and speed aren’t quite what they were back in his prime years, Fournette is still a capable back who could produce solid numbers in an elite offense.
MORE: Yates’ Fantasy Football Updated RB Rest-of-Season Rankings Week 11
Cook started the season with four straight games with 10+ fantasy points in PPR formats but has posted fewer than 10 fantasy points in four out of his last six games. During that span, he has seen fewer than 10 carries in a game on two occasions.
Over the last six games, Cook has averaged 10.6 carries per game and 2.33 targets per game compared to 14 carries per game and 3.5 targets per game in his first four. That’s a 26% drop in usage over the past six weeks when compared to the first four weeks.
There’s no denying Murray had a great Week 10 performance against the Denver Broncos, rushing for 68 yards and a score on just nine carries, which helped him finish with more fantasy points than Cook in PPR formats for the first time all season.
Is there a possibility the signing of Fournette is purely to add some veteran depth to this backfield behind Cook and Murray? Sure, it’s definitely possible.
Even if Fournette is activated and sees some work, is there a chance it just makes this backfield an even bigger running-back-by-committee headache? Yes. That seems very likely.
However, it will likely cost you little-to-nothing to add Fournette to your fantasy roster and stash him away to see what his role could be in the next two weeks.
If he’s a nonfactor, then simply drop him. On the flip side, if he has a bigger role than we all expect, Fournette could be intriguing in PPR formats heading into the fantasy playoffs.
Recommended FAAB bid: 2%
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