Former fantasy standout looking to return to the NFL

Despite appearing in just two games in 2023, Leonard Fournette still believes he has the ability to provide value to a team and will find a new home before the end of the offseason.

As ESPN's Adam Schefter reported, the 29-year-old running back hired his former agent and management team in hopes of securing a new deal shortly. Fournette last was under contract with the Buffalo Bills, taking just 26 total snaps before being released.

Per Schefter's report, the running back's management team believes that their client is "in the best shape of his career."

Before the 2023 season, Fournette spent his previous three years in Tampa Bay as the starting running back alongside Tom Brady. His time in Florida followed a three-year tenure in Jacksonville to begin his career that included two 1,000-yard seasons.

While previously having a reputation as a reliable fantasy starter, Fournette has not averaged over four yards per carry since 2021 and has not topped 1,000 yards in a season since 2019.

Does Leonard Fournette still have fantasy value?

Should Fournette ink a new contract before the preseason, he will only have an outside chance of making the final roster and almost no shot of returning to his status as a three-down starter. As such, his path back to fantasy relevance is miniscule.

While he always lacked consistency as a pass catcher, Fournette profiled as an elite physical specimen early in his career with a rare combination of top-level speed and bullet-proof strength. It is easy to forget that he once accumulated nearly 2,000 rushing yards in a single 12-game season at LSU.

However, his speed and vision clearly did not translate to the NFL, averaging over four yards per tote just twice in seven seasons. In each of the three separate chapters of his career, Fournette was unceremoniously cut by every team he was with in the NFL.

It is a well-known fact that running backs have the shortest life span in football with age 28 being the typical point of decline. Depending on play style and wear and tear, it is not uncommon for some players to begin their descent sooner. For Fournette — who will turn 30 before the end of the 2024 season — his apex is visibly in the past.

The NFL future of 'Playoff Lenny' will likely be contingent on his expected salary range, but there are still possible landing spots for the free agent. A team like the New York Giants who are expected to begin Week 1 with Devin Singletary as their starting running back without much depth behind him could do worse than adding Fournette to their roster for the preseason.

But even if that happens, nostalgia is not worth any points in fantasy leagues, making him beyond irrelevant in all formats regardless of what comes next.