The name Leonard Fournette hasn’t been mentioned in fantasy football circles in a while. But after a report surfaced that he could be visiting the Buffalo Bills this week, is Fournette worth a high-priority waiver wire claim in your fantasy league for Week 7?
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Should Leonard Fournette Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 7
After a disappointing 2022 campaign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Fournette hasn’t drawn much attention from teams on the free agent market.
However, we got an interesting report from Jordan Schultz on X suggesting he is visiting with the Bills tomorrow.
Leonard Fournette tells me he is visiting the #Bills tomorrow.
Fournette has fielded interest from several teams, and there’s a good chance he signs in Buffalo if all goes well. pic.twitter.com/zs64rnZiK3
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) October 17, 2023
The interest from the Bills comes shortly after Damien Harris sustained a neck injury and is in concussion protocol. Fortunately, he is out of the hospital and resting at home.
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If the Bills sign Fournette, this could eventually impact leading ball carrier James Cook and diminish the already limited role of Latavius Murray.
However, Fournette saw his efficiency absolutely plummet last season. Fournette was the leading ball carrier in the league’s worst rushing attack, averaging just 3.53 yards per carry over 189 carries. Of course, yards per carry isn’t strictly a running back stat, but many of Fournette’s advanced rushing metrics would indicate he showed some decline in his playmaking ability in 2022.
If we were talking about this Buffalo offense potentially getting the 2017 version of Fournette, we could be taking a top-10 player at the RB position. Unfortunately, this version of Fournette may struggle to even get on the field.
The Bills have mostly been leaning on Cook and Murray in the backfield over the last three weeks.
Now, is Fournette probably capable of getting some looks on third downs with his underrated pass-catching/pass-blocking capabilities? Sure.
How much fantasy value does a role like that really hold? My answer would be not very much.
However, I will admit that if Fournette signs with the Bills, he is certainly worth a speculative add to see exactly what his potential role would be in the coming weeks as a member of the Bills.
Editor’s Note: According to recent reports, Fournette’s visit with the Bills is being scratched.
Update: I’m told Leonard Fournette’s visit with the #Bills is being scratched.
My understanding is Buffalo was expecting to lose RB Ty Johnson from their practice squad, which was the reason they were bringing Lenny in.
But Johnson is now staying, and Lenny will wait for a… https://t.co/P1SfuIykxX
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) October 17, 2023