How Does Leonard Fournette Getting Released Impact YOUR Fantasy Football League?
So far today we got perspective on what this Fournette move means for Jags fans and Bears fans. However, I imagine most football fans only care about their respective NFL teams along with their fantasy teams since those two teams literally decide your happiness for the next four months. We all have different NFL teams so let's break down what this move means from a fantasy perspective.
If You Are In A League That Already Had It's Draft:
The first thing you should do is laugh at the guy who drafted Leonard Fournette in the first few rounds. Point and laugh if they are in the same room as you or simply laugh via text form on a chain with the rest of the league to create a full blown pig pile.
There is nothing better than piling on a buddy who just had something devastating happen to their fantasy team with the season still weeks away just like there is nothing worse than when you are that person and your entire league rubs your face in the shit. Embrace every moment where you are not the punching bag of your league and drink someone else's tears while you can.
HOWEVER, before you send that message, make sure to check the waiver wire and pick up Fournette's replacement if you are fishing for a running back (and let's be honest, everyone in a fantasy league could always use another running back). The next RB on Jackonsville's depth chart is Ryquell Armstead, who is entering his 2nd season. He didn't do much as a rookie, so here are his YouTube college highlight reel where he looked AWESOME because everyone looks AWESOME in their YouTube highlights as some sort of soothing hip hop plays in the background.
Obviously Armstead is worth a flyer regardless of how much it appears the Jags have fully embraced the Tank For Trevor movement. Even if Jacksonville gets crushed in every game, there are plenty of opportunities for garbage time points via Gardner Minshew dump offs. Speaking of dump offs, Armstead will be sharing the backfield with Chris Thompson, who spent the last six seasons playing for the Washington Rrrr… Football Team under current Jags offensive coordinator Jay Gruden along with bouncing on and off your fantasy football league's waiver wire because of injuries and a lack of consistent production. Since the Jags will probably be spending all of the 2020 season in catch up mode, Thompson could be a dark horse fantasy producer since running back receiving yards are an undervalued commodity since so many people just blindly look at rushing yards with RBs and Uncle Lenny had a cool 76 receptions on 100 targets for 522 receiving yards.
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Finally, the last thing you should do is pray to sick and twisted Fantasy Gods that Fournette doesn't land on the same team as one of your other running backs. Even though Fournette didn't deliver on the promise of all those long runs at LSU or the 4th overall pick price tag, he can still be productive while playing for a team that isn't a complete shitshow and will be likely doing whatever is necessary to lock up a long-term contract, which actually makes Fournette a decent Buy Low trade target if the guy that has him is really sad/pissed right now.
If You Are In A League That Hasn't Drafted Yet:
Monitor the situation, bump the Jags RBs up a bit in your rankings, maybe take a flyer on Fournette if he plummets without a team, and say a prayer for anybody that drafted Fournette as their RB1 in other leagues (Do this strictly for karma reasons since that's the most important part of fantasy football).