The Tampa Bay Buccaneers traveled to Dallas in Week 1 and demolished the Cowboys with strong defensive play and an impressive rushing attack. The rushing attack was led by veteran Leonard Fournette.
However, heading into this NFC South battle with the New Orleans Saints, Fournette has found himself on the injury report. Is Fournette playing today, and what is the latest injury update on the Buccaneers’ RB?
Update: Leonard Fournette is active for the Buccaneers game against the Saints.
Is Leonard Fournette playing today against the Saints?
Fournette was limited all week in practice with a hamstring injury. This gave him plenty of time to go back and forth with linebacker Micah Parsons on social media regarding a controversial block he performed during the game.
However, this hamstring injury has also landed him as questionable on the final injury report for this game. Beyond the injury designation, there has been no additional information shared surrounding Fournette. That can be seen as positive, but we won’t really know until closer to kickoff. Or, even worse for fantasy managers, until lineups lock and the game actually begins.
Fantasy implications of Fournette’s injury
Last week against the Saints, Cordarelle Patterson and the Falcons’ offense were able to move the ball with ease. Patterson had a huge game with 120 yards rushing on 22 carries and 16 yards on three catches.
The Saints were one of the best defenses against the run last year but clearly struggled in Week 1. Is this something we can expect weekly, or can they contain Fournette?
Fournette is currently listed as RB13 in PFN’s standard scoring RB fantasy rankings. If he is not able to suit up and play, Rachaad White becomes an immediate starting option. In dynasty leagues, considering Fournette’s age, White should be picked up if he is still available on waivers. He is currently RB53 in our rankings, but that is with the belief that Fournette is healthy enough to play.
Even if Fournette plays in this one, expect his usage to be somewhat limited. The Bucs RB has yet to play a full season in his career, and hamstring injuries can be quite limiting for a RB. We will update this article with more information when NFL inactives are announced ahead of this game.