Working on the Experts Poll text, Leonard Fournette looks like he'll be a key player in fantasy drafts. There seems to be a lot of variance in opinions on how he'll fare in 2019. Half of the 20 experts rank him in the 12-15 range. Half of the remaining experts rank him 20th, or out of the rankings completely.
New coordinator John DeFilippo, for his part, is saying Fournette will be the focal point. “We’re really looking forward to Leonard having a big year,” DeFilippo said. “I’m going to call it what it is: He’s going to be a major reason where our offense goes. I’m not going to sugarcoat that. Leonard Fournette needs to be a big part of this offense."
Last year, Fournette missed half the season due to injuries and suspension. He missed three games his rookie season. In neither season was he overly effective, averaging 3.9 yards per carry in 2017 and 3.3 a year ago.
It's not all on Fournette; blocking, and Jacksonville's banged-up offensive line, were factors. Collectively, Jacksonville running backs (which included T.J. Yeldon and Carlos Hyde combining for more carries than Fournette) averaged just 3.47 yards per attempt. That was the worst average in the league. Their 1,140 yards ranked 2nd-worst.
In the table, numbers are for running backs only, setting aside quarterback or wide receiver rushing.
| TEAM RUNNING BACK RUSHING, 2018 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Att | Yds | Avg | TD |
| LA Rams | 371 | 1855 | 5.00 | 19 |
| LA Chargers | 346 | 1705 | 4.93 | 15 |
| Denver | 358 | 1746 | 4.88 | 15 |
| San Francisco | 372 | 1799 | 4.84 | 6 |
| Miami | 320 | 1539 | 4.81 | 7 |
| NY Giants | 325 | 1525 | 4.69 | 12 |
| Seattle | 451 | 2092 | 4.64 | 15 |
| Green Bay | 281 | 1299 | 4.62 | 12 |
| Carolina | 282 | 1303 | 4.62 | 10 |
| Cincinnati | 307 | 1413 | 4.60 | 11 |
| Kansas City | 298 | 1371 | 4.60 | 13 |
| Cleveland | 346 | 1579 | 4.56 | 13 |
| New Orleans | 387 | 1766 | 4.56 | 20 |
| Atlanta | 300 | 1365 | 4.55 | 8 |
| Indianapolis | 348 | 1581 | 4.54 | 12 |
| Baltimore | 368 | 1659 | 4.51 | 14 |
| Dallas | 354 | 1577 | 4.45 | 7 |
| Pittsburgh | 301 | 1313 | 4.36 | 13 |
| Minnesota | 298 | 1278 | 4.29 | 8 |
| Tennessee | 374 | 1592 | 4.26 | 13 |
| Oakland | 348 | 1473 | 4.23 | 8 |
| New England | 389 | 1646 | 4.23 | 15 |
| Washington | 329 | 1370 | 4.16 | 10 |
| Philadelphia | 349 | 1438 | 4.12 | 12 |
| Detroit | 369 | 1496 | 4.05 | 11 |
| NY Jets | 355 | 1436 | 4.05 | 10 |
| Houston | 367 | 1471 | 4.01 | 7 |
| Chicago | 369 | 1415 | 3.83 | 12 |
| Arizona | 322 | 1153 | 3.58 | 9 |
| Tampa Bay | 296 | 1050 | 3.55 | 7 |
| Buffalo | 352 | 1241 | 3.53 | 4 |
| Jacksonville | 329 | 1140 | 3.47 | 6 |
DeFilippo makes it clear that Jacksonville is going to run the ball, with Fournette leading that. If you're skeptical about him -- and I am -- the main handcuff options are former Texan Alfred Blue, or rookie Ryquell Armstead. I expect Blue to be the initial backup, but let's see. Armstead could emerge as a factor, should Fournette struggle.
--Andy Richardson