As a top-five draft pick, the Jacksonville Jaguars are expecting rookie running back Leonard Fournette to make a strong debut. In the eyes of fantasy owners who believe in Fournette, the fact that he gets to face the San Francisco 49ers' run defense in Week 16 is icing on the cake.
Last year, the Niners had perhaps the worst defense in the NFL.
| Rushing Yards Allowed | NFL Rank | Rushing Touchdowns Allowed | NFL Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,654 | 32nd | 25 | 32nd |
They also ranked 30th in Adjusted Defensive Rushing NEP per play. Yikes.
And things are unlikely to get better for the 49ers this season. Pinnacle, an off-shore sportsbook, projects the 49ers to win just 4.5 games, tied with the Cleveland Browns for the worst in the league.
Unfortunately for Fournette, aside from championship week, he is looking at a difficult schedule overall. numberFire's Aaron Watson found that the Jags have the fifth-toughest schedule for running backs in 2017.
That schedule really gets ugly in Weeks 14 and 15 when Fournette goes back-to-back against the Seattle Seahawks and the Houston Texans. Yet while he may be unplayable in those matchups, his Week 16 matchup could be your key to a fantasy championship.