There might not be a hotter hand in the playoff so far than Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette. He’s taken over the lead job in the Bucs’ backfield, with Ronald Jones dealing with an injury, and helped power his team through both of their wins so far. He figures to have a key role again this week in the Divisional round against the Packers, and looks like one of the best bets at the running back position in fantasy football.
Fantasy Football analysis: Bucs RB Leonard Fournette, $5,300
Last week, with a hobbled Jones back in the lineup, the Bucs leaned on Fournette to grind out 63 yards on 17 carries. He caught five of six passes for 44 yards and a touchdown. The week before that, against Washington, he had 93 yards on 19 carries with a touchdown, adding another 39 yards on four catches.
Jones is likely to eat into his workload again this week, but the Bucs can’t afford to take Fournette out of the top spot. He’s an added value in fantasy because of his role in the passing game too.
Green Bay’s defense has been especially vulnerable to running backs. Cam Akers of the Rams had 90 yards and a touchdown last week.
Fantasy Start/Sit Recommendation
Out of all the teams left in the playoffs, none of them employ their running backs as much as the Buccaneers do. They also have the most favorable matchup for their backfield. I’d make Fournette my top choice in fantasy lineups this weekend. He’s especially attractive in DFS where he’s the second-most expensive running back, behind Aaron Jones.