Leonard Fournette start or sit: Week 9 fantasy football advice

A rematch of last year’s NFC playoffs is on the schedule as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Rams meet in Week 9. The Bucs are hoping to end a three-game skid as they come off an extended rest from playing last Thursday night, and Leonard Fournette could be featured heavily with the running game at the forefront. Despite his struggles over the past few weeks, does the former LSU Tiger make sense as a fantasy starter in Week 9?

Fantasy Football analysis: Buccaneers RB Leonard Fournette

Fournette was able to bounce back with a 14.8 PPR fantasy performance last week against the Ravens, and finding the end zone on a goal-line score helped salvage what could have been another subpar day. The former number four overall pick averaged just 2.66 yards per carry and has largely been ineffective on the ground as a whole. Fournette has just 43 rushing yards on 17 attempts over his last three games, and the struggling Bucs offense as a whole has arguably carried over into the backfield.

His matchup in Week 9 won’t be easy either, as the Rams have been solid against the run both among the rest of the league and in fantasy. Los Angeles allows the seventh-fewest rushing yards per game with 105.1, and they surrender 16.7 fantasy points per game to opposing tailbacks, which is the eighth-least. Fournette may need to find the end zone more than once on Sunday if he is forced to salvage another low-yardage performance.

Start or sit in Week 9?

Despite the struggles over the past few weeks and a tough opponent on deck, Fournette remains a borderline RB1 in Week 9. Fantasy managers can place him as a starter in lineups with the hope that he benefits from more than a couple of goal-line opportunities.