Leonard Fournette Injury Update Causes Ronald Jones Week 16 Fantasy Outlook to Skyrocket

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' chances of securing the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the playoffs took a huge hit after they lost to the New Orleans Saints in Week 15. That wasn't the only bad news coming out of the game given starting running back Leonard Fournette also suffered a hamstring injury.

Forunette's expected absence causes the Week 16 fantasy outlook of backup Ronald Jones to skyrocket.

Leonard Fournette Injury Update

Fournette exited the game in the third quarter after taking on a brutal hit in which he helicoptered through the air. He was quickly ruled out with a hamstring injury, which is never a good sign. While more tests will be done today, early reports suggest that Fournette will need at least one week off.

Ronald Jones Fantasy Outlook

Jones is the most likely candidate to start assuming Fournette cannot give it a go in Week 16 against the Carolina Panthers. The former USC standout handled the backfield work during the fourth quarter on Sunday night and finished the game with 71 total yards on 10 touches (8 carries & 2 receptions).

Fantasy managers looking for help at running back should not hesitate to pick up Jones for the playoffs. He is averaging 4.7 yards per rush attempt this season and could be in line to see 20-plus carries. After all, the Panthers have posted the 12th-worst rush defense DVOA rating in the NFL.

Keep an eye on any updates released about Fournette's status in the coming days. For now, he checks in at RB8 in The Duel's Week 16 fantasy football rankings. Meanwhile, Jones would become a dependable RB2 if Fournette is ultimately ruled out.

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Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.