With Leonard Fournette out for the remainder of the fantasy football season, all eyes were on Ronald Jones out of Tampa Bay. It looks like there might be another name to monitor in that backfield, as second-year running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn had a surprisingly good day in Week 16. Is Vaughn worth a waiver wire pickup in fantasy championship week?
Ke’Shawn Vaughn had a great game in Week 16
It’s been a shocking lack of usage for Ke’Shawn Vaughn through his first two seasons, considering the Buccaneers invested a third-round pick on him in the 2020 NFL Draft.
He had been a healthy scratch in 10 of his first 30 career possible games. Vaughn entered Week 16 with only 11 carries on the season for 50 yards.
Acting as the second option behind Jones, Vaughn had 7 carries for 70 yards on Sunday, including one long 55-yard touchdown run. It was his first score of the season. It was a great run, and he may have earned himself some extra work next week against the worst run defense in the league in the Jets.
Vaughn may continue to work into the game plan, making him a name worth considering in your waiver decisions this week.
Ronald Jones is still the lead option
Without Fournette, Jones is still the guy to own. Vaughn could have a role, but it’s unlikely to be substantial enough to detract from Jones. In Sunday’s blowout win against the Panthers, Jones saw 20 carries and 3 targets.
While he wasn’t the most efficient he’s ever been, Jones did log 65 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He added 2 catches for 16 yards as well. In a low fantasy-scoring week around the league, Jones is currently the RB5 before Monday Night Football.
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Jones will continue to operate as the lead back, and he also looks like the better receiving option of the two. He doesn’t see many targets, but he has caught 8 of 9 targets since Week 5. Vaughn, on the other hand, has caught only 38.5% of his targets since coming into the league.
Fournette was a featured aspect of the Buccaneers’ passing game, catching 69 of 84 targets for 454 yards and 2 TDs this year. If Tampa Bay wants to continue to target the running back position, it seems that they would have more faith in using Jones in that role.
Is Ke’Shawn Vaughn worth a waiver add?
There’s more to consider when placing a waiver claim, especially this week. Firstly, any time you have an opportunity to add a player that might have a role, they’re worth considering. Secondly, it isn’t just about whether or not you’ll play them — it’s also a worthwhile strategy to attempt to block your opponent in championship week.
Running backs are hard to come by, and depth is more important than ever with the constant flow of positive COVID-19 tests around the league. Vaughn should be added as a depth piece in case anything happens to Jones this week. Nevertheless, he likely won’t be worth a start unless he’s forced into a starting role. Still, take every precaution you can to make sure you have depth on your championship roster.
