No pity parties for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They entered the season with five likely future Hall of Famers at QB, WR, and TE anchoring an offense that also included the apparently elite RB Leonard Fournette. They’re now down to three or four future HOFs (depending on Mike Evans’ week-to-week status) and Ronald Jones. They’ll be fine. Nevertheless, Fournette’s injury (not to mention Chris Godwin’s) is throwing this offense into modest disarray. Assuming Fournette sits in Week 16, is Jones “the guy” for fantasy football managers? Or could backup Ke’Shawn Vaughn — or even newly-signed Le’Veon Bell — earn any meaningful production?
Ronald Jones’ Week 16 fantasy outlook
After finishing as an RB2+ in 54% of his games in 2020, Jones has become largely a fantasy afterthought. Despite a team-high 192 carries last season to go with 978 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns — while averaging an impressive 5.1 yards per carry — Jones has taken a backseat to the phenomenal Fournette.
It doesn’t help that last year Jones caught only 28 out of 42 targets for 165 receiving yards with 5 drops. He also struggled as a blocker. The Bucs wanted a more complete package, and they found it in Fournette.
Still, Jones has continued to look strong on the field, averaging 4.7 yards per carry while catching 7 of 9 targets. If he handles the lead-back role, he’d be well-positioned to take on more receiving work, which should elevate him into fantasy starter territory.
The challenge is that the opposing Panthers are the fourth-best team in the league against fantasy RBs. If he’s starting in real life, he’s worth starting in fantasy with RB2 upside, but unfortunately with an RB4 floor.
Ke’Shawn Vaughn’s Week 16 fantasy outlook
If you’re looking for a wild card in this backfield, you’ve found him. Despite being a 2020 third-round draft pick, Vaughn is best known for his mop-up work at the end of convincing wins and losses.
Certainly Tampa Bay expected more when they selected him, and it’s curious as to why they signed LeSean McCoy two months later and Fournette a month after that.
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Heading into Week 16, I find Vaughn incredibly intriguing. He was adept in the passing game in college (66 career receptions), where he exhibited bell-cow abilities and durability, topping out at 226 touches his senior year.
I’m wondering if we’ll see a hot-hand strategy from head coach Bruce Arians, perhaps giving Vaughn the third offensive series to see what he can do. If he outperforms Jones on that drive, he could take over just like that (I just snapped my fingers loudly).
Le’Veon Bell’s Week 16 fantasy outlook
Bell is back. He and Adrian Peterson combined have played for more than one-third of NFL teams in the past five years. Will they make it one-half? There are still three weeks left in the season.
Bell used to be a focal point in the passing game. Through 2019, 20% of his 1,928 touches were receptions. Since then, only 7% of his touches have been receptions. This is not the same Bell we used to know. For now, consider Bell only after you’ve secured Vaughn, and then only if every other NFL RB handcuff is taken.
