Update: Fournette was not activated on Saturday ahead of Buffalo’s game on Sunday against the New York Jets. Practice squad rules typically dictate that players must be activated before 4 p.m. ET the day before a game.
The Buffalo Bills will play the New York Jets in Week 11. Buffalo is coming off a bad late-game loss to the Denver Broncos and may be looking for a spark on offense. They signed veteran running back Leonard Fournette to their practice squad in Week 9, and he has spent time adjusting to the playbook and the cold weather in western New York. Head coach Sean McDermott praised Fournette’s progress and suggested the running back could be elevated to the main roster in the near future.
Fantasy football impact on James Cook, Latavius Murray if Fournette plays
Cook heads into this week as the leading rusher in the Buffalo backfield. He has 615 yards and a touchdown on 120 carries through 10 games. The Bills’ offense can’t stay consistent and frequently switches from being pass-heavy to run-heavy. Cook had 109 yards on 12 carries in Week 10, but he picked up 42 on a play that saw him recover his fumble mid-stride. He had three carries for 16 yards in the redzone but was pulled when the team was within five yards.
Murray has become Buffalo’s go-to running back near the goal line, but he still loses carries to Josh Allen. Still, last week Murray finished with nine carries for 68 yards and a touchdown and two of them came within 10 yards and included the three-yard score. Cook has been unable to run away with the starting RB role, and Murray continues to force a split backfield.
Fournette joining the fray would likely see him inserted in the redzone to begin. If they begin running options with him and Allen, his frame would be hard to contend with. The comments from McDermott suggest Fournette would have a carved-out role, but they have had a few weeks to get him up to speed and haven’t pulled the trigger. It feels like McDermott is giving his team one game with an interim offensive coordinator to get things right and then may bring up Fournette in the future if it doesn’t go well. For now, assume Fournette isn’t activated.