X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

ADP Showdown - Leonard Fournette vs Damien Williams

In the latest ADP showdown, Dom Petrillo takes a look at two running backs going in the top-15 who find themselves in different situations. Should you trust the workhorse RB on the bad offense, or the lesser-known quantity on the better offense?

In this ADP showdown, let’s take a look at two running backs on vastly different teams and in two completely different situations.

On one hand, we have Leonard Fournette. A back on a Jacksonville Jaguars team who is known more for their defense rather than their offense. A team which has already voided the guaranteed money due to him because of immaturity concerns. Concerns which frankly are correct based on actions seen. The other running back is Damien Williams. He is on a Chiefs offense who, if it wasn’t the best before Friday, sure is now. With the return of Tyreek Hill leading to even more explosiveness in Kansas City, the bell-cow back could just become a top-five back in the league this season.

With the participants in this showdown defined, we can now take a look at the argument for each of them and you can decide which one you prefer.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

The Case for Leonard Fournette

Playing in only eight games due to injury, suspension and plain indifference led Fournette to be a major bust in 2018, but the final numbers are not the whole story.

Yes, he was a bust for sure. He has not been healthy since high school and the likelihood of him being on Jacksonville much longer are not great. But he does have two things going for him.

First and foremost, the Jaguars want to run and play defense. This means despite not even averaging 4.0 yards per carry, he will get the rock. The other key factor is his unsecured spot for the future. The team will pound him into the ground before letting him ride off into the sunset. In the NFL of today where running backs are a dime a dozen, he will be given all the work he can handle to prove himself.

Although he only finished as RB39 last season based on total points, he was still a top-15 back when it came to points per game at 13.7. Of course, these numbers can be taken any way you want them to be. I can play in one game, have a big run and a touchdown and never play again thus making the average high. But eight full games are a solid sample size for this number, and it was only a few years ago when he was a rookie, that Fournette was a top-10 running back for the entire season.

Longevity is not going to be a friend of Fournette. Even as it relates to backs in the league, he is more of a short-term player than others. But one season is short term. If the Jaguars want to get back to sniffing the postseason with Nick Foles and company, Leonard Fournette will be a big part of the equation. He will not be asked to catch the ball, thank goodness. But he will be asked to pound the rock 18 to 20 times a game or more. Last season, Ezekiel Elliott was the only running back in the league with over 300 rush attempts. The next closest was Saquon Barkley with 281. This season you should expect Fournette to join that 300-rush club and it could go much higher as well.

Currently, Leonard Fournette is going as RB15 at pick 3.02 in drafts. Despite his lack of pass-catching profile, this is a solid value for a player who should be pushing for the league lead in rush attempts. Even if he just gets to 4.0 yards per carry, he should amass 1,200 rush yards. If he can play in all 16 games, he could also reach double-digit touchdowns in the low-powered but run-heavy Jacksonville offense.

 

The Case for Damien Williams

We loved Damien Williams all offseason. Especially after Andy Reid came out and named him the starter. The starter in an Andy Reid rush attack is great, as it means bell-cow work. As the bell-cow, last season Kareem Hunt saw 71% of the snaps in the offense. In the four total games in which Damien Williams started and finished in 2018? He saw 73%. He also averaged 128 yards per game and 20.3 touches in those games.

With Tyreek Hill now back on the field officially, Williams becomes even more valuable. But also, more expensive.

Currently going in the late second-round as RB13, this number is going to climb to incredible heights in coming months leading into the season. Before the season starts, it is likely he will make his way into the late first round. But at worst the high second-round. Bell-cow back or not, for someone with limited production in his career, this could be just right for some people.

A first-round price would put him above players such as James Conner and Dalvin Cook. Both of whom could easily finish higher. But they are also players on lesser offenses, even if not significantly worse, and they also have concerns with injury. This is not a concern we have seen with Williams. All three of these backs could finish back to back to back in the ranks and all should be in consideration this high in drafts. At this point, it is your preference on which one you want to take a chance on.

Is it going to be the guy in Minnesota who cannot seem to stay healthy? The guy in Pittsburgh who may be in a split backfield with a player in Jalen Samuels whom the coaching staff wants to get on the field? Or the man in Kansas City. The man whose coach has already named the starter and is playing on the best offense in the NFL with potentially the number one QB and WR on his team.

 

Final Thoughts

Damien Williams has not shown much in the NFL. But to be fair, other than being drafted far too high, neither has Leonard Fournette since his rookie year.

Fournette will get the work in the run game as long as he stays healthy. But based on the work he received as the starter last season; Williams may not be far behind in the rush attempts in 2019. With the offense in Kansas City poised to set records, it is hard not to choose the guy on this team. You may decide to go opposite and take the riskier Fournette and this is your choice. If you do this, I hope it is because you were able to lock down the receiver position in the first two rounds of your draft.

But if you are looking for an RB one out of either of these two? Damien Williams is not only safer but also has a higher potential finish. This makes him a double threat and at least in my mind, the clear pick.

More ADP Showdown Articles


Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Take Shemar Stewart 17th Overall
Atlanta Falcons

Falcons Select Jalon Walker At 15th Overall
Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals Select Walter Nolen At No. 16 In The NFL Draft

Tyler Warren Heads To Colts At No. 14
Jeff McNeil

Activated From Injured List
Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Nab Michigan’s Kenneth Grant At No. 13
Brett Baty

Optioned To Minors
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Opt For O-Line, Select Tyler Booker At No. 12
Zack Gelof

To Begin Rehab Assignment Next Week
San Francisco 49ers

49ers Use 11th Pick On Georgia’s Mykel Williams
Ryan Walker

Remains Giants Closer

Colston Loveland Goes To Bears At Pick No. 10 Of NFL Draft
Kumar Rocker

Heads To Injured List
New Orleans Saints

Saints Draft Kelvin Banks Jr. At Ninth Overall

Panthers Select Tetairoa McMillan At No. 8 Overall In NFL Draft
New York Jets

Jets Draft Armand Membou At Seventh Overall

Ashton Jeanty Goes To Raiders At No. 6 Overall
Cleveland Browns

Browns Take Mason Graham At Fifth Overall In 2025 NFL Draft
New England Patriots

Patriots Select Will Campbell At Fourth Overall
New York Giants

Giants Draft Abdul Carter At Third Overall

Jaguars Trade Up To Select Travis Hunter At Second Overall
NFL

Cleveland Trades The No. 2 Overall Pick In The 2025 NFL Draft To Jacksonsville
Cam Ward

Titans Take Cam Ward First Overall In 2025 NFL Draft
NFL

Panthers, Buccaneers, Seahawks Talking About Trading Back
Brent Rooker

Resting For First Time This Season
Jrue Holiday

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Willing To Trade Down In First Round
Jayson Tatum

Likely Out Again On Friday
New England Patriots

Patriots Linked To Will Campbell
Isaiah Stewart

Remains Out For Game 3
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go Thursday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Looks To Bounce Back In Game 2
Rasmus Ristolainen

To Miss Training Camp
Jonas Siegenthaler

Returns To Practice
Aliaksei Protas

Traveling With Capitals
Gabriel Vilardi

Still Out On Thursday
Max Pacioretty

Set To Join Maple Leafs Lineup For Game 3
Bryan Woo

Picks Up Third Win, Strikes Out Eight On Thursday
Cade Cavalli

Moving Rehab Assignment To Double-A
Paul DeJong

Having Surgery On His Nose
Royce Lewis

Starting His Rehab Assignment On Friday
Tyler O'Neill

Out On Thursday With Sore Neck
Cole Ragans

Pulled Early On Thursday With Groin Tightness
Jackson Holliday

Retreats To Bench Against Southpaw
Jake Mangum

Rays Place Jake Mangum On 10-Day Injured List With Groin Strain
José Tena

Jacob Young, Jose Tena Sitting Out On Thursday
Kyle Gibson

Dealing With Minor Back Tightness
Triston Casas

Small Mechanical Tweak Working For Triston Casas
CJ Abrams

Reinstated From 10-Day Injured List
Eli Morgan

Shut Down From Throwing For 2-3 Weeks
Javier Assad

Heading To Chicago To Be Examined
Jake Bauers

In Starting Lineup Against Giants
Linus Ullmark

Attempts To Overcome Playoff Struggles Thursday
Anthony Cirelli

A Game-Time Call Thursday
Logan Thompson

Comes Up Big In Game 2
Connor McMichael

Strikes Twice In Wednesday's Win
Anze Kopitar

Tallies Four Points In Game 2 Victory
Adrian Kempe

Notches Two Goals, Two Assists In Wednesday's Win
Tyler Seguin

Gives Stars Series Lead With Overtime Winner
Gabriel Landeskog

Delivers Six Hits In First Game Since 2022
Tyler Herro

Scores Game-High 33 Points In Wednesday's Loss
Donovan Mitchell

Fires In 30 Points In Game 2 Win
Paolo Banchero

Notches 32 Points In Game 2 Loss
Jaylen Brown

Posts 36-Point Double-Double Wednesday
Jalen Green

Erupts For 38 Points In Game 2 Victory
Brandin Podziemski

Limited To 14 Minutes Wednesday
Jimmy Butler III

Set For MRI Thursday
Brandin Podziemski

Upgraded To Available
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Michael Porter Jr.

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Davion Mitchell

Moves Into Starting Lineup Wednesday
Brandin Podziemski

Picks Up Questionable Tag
Al Horford

Starts Game 2
Michael Porter Jr.

Practices On Wednesday
Jayson Tatum

Out On Wednesday
Isaiah Stewart

May Miss Another Game Thursday
NYI

Cal Clutterbuck Announces Retirement
Pavel Zacha

Recovering From Small Procedure
Nikolaj Ehlers

To Miss At Least Two More Games
Miro Heiskanen

Still Out On Wednesday
John Klingberg

Enters Oilers Lineup For Game 2
Evander Kane

To Make Season Debut Wednesday Night
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Posts Team-High 26 Points In Tuesday's Loss
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Notches 27 Points Despite Poor Shooting
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Pascal Siakam

Scores Team-High 24 Points In Game 2 Win
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF