The question of is Leonard Fournette playing in Week 14Â popped up for fantasy football managers on Thursday. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB was listed on the injury report with a foot issue, which is not something we had seen previously. Heading into Sunday morning, let’s look at the latest update for Fournette and the fantasy impact on Rachaad White’s value this week.
Update: Leonard Fournette is active for Week 14.
Is Leonard Fournette Playing Today?
The reports from early Sunday morning suggest that Fournette is expected to play today, despite the mid-week downgrade. Anytime a player picks up an issue during the week and then has his status further downgraded is usually a concern. Fournette went from being a full participant on Wednesday to being limited on Thursday and a non-participant on Friday.
However, based on what we heard from Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles, it seemed as though the team was largely being cautious with Fournette. The veteran RB missed Week 12 with a hip issue before coming back into the lineup in Week 13. With the playoffs firmly in consideration for the Buccaneers, they understandably want to be cautious with their veteran RB.
Therefore, it will be interesting to see how the Buccaneers utilize the combination of Fournette and White this week. Last week, the pair essentially split touches, but it would not be a surprise to see White take a lead on touches in Week 14. That is something that fantasy managers need to consider when making lineup choices this week.
Fantasy Outlook for Fournette and Rachaad White in Week 14
This injury situation for Fournette likely leaves some conflicted feelings for fantasy managers. In a week with six NFL teams on a bye, you want every fantasy-relevant option available if possible. However, the matchup with the San Francisco 49ers is a really tough one for the fantasy output of RBs, so having Fournette limited or missing this week is not a complete disaster.
Across the season, the 49ers have only allowed an average of 12.41 fantasy points to opposing backs. However, in the past four weeks, they have been even tougher, allowing an average of just 8.23 fantasy points to RBs. During this stretch, the 49ers have allowed fantasy outputs of 10.3, 14.3, 5.0, and 3.3 fantasy points to RBs.
MORE: Week 14 Start/Sit Advice
That means the ceiling for the Buccaneers’ RBs is low, to begin with, let alone if they were also splitting touches. That could mean there is a somewhat net gain in terms of fantasy value from Fournette being limited. If that means White gets something closer to 75% of the touches this week, it gives him a chance to return starting level value this week.
While that is not good news for Fournette’s fantasy managers, it does provide some hope to White’s fantasy managers. If both backs were entering the game at 100%, there would be a case to be made that neither is a great option to start in 12-team leagues in Week 14. However, with Fournette dealing with an injury, White is a player that is intriguing to start this week, even if the upside is limited.
If you are playing on Underdog Fantasy this week, then fantasy managers should be cautious in Best Ball drafts. Normally, an injury to Fournette would make White a player to target, but the matchup this week changes that. Depending on the price it takes to acquire him this week, fantasy managers might be better off letting a rival reach for White, thinking he could be in for a big day as the primary option in the backfield.
