BJ VanderWoude: Leonard Fournette and Todd Gurley are ranked #2 and #3 in terms of average points per game at the running back position. This week they play each with Fournette having the slight advantage of playing in Jacksonville. Both the Jaguars and the Rams have been very good matchups for opposing running backs, so with this in mind, will you have heavy exposure to either or both, Gurley and/or Fournette?
John Mamula: I expect to have heavy exposure to both Todd Gurley and Leonard Fournette this week. After Gurley burned many DFS players last week some may look in another direction. If Gurley didn't fumble the ball on the one-yard line, his stat line would have been much more acceptable. The Jaguars defense is still awful against the run as they have allowed the second most 146.4 rushing yards per game. One can question can Steelers offensive gameplan as Leveon Bell only received 15 rushing attempts against this defense.
Leonard Fournette has been the model of consistency this season at the running back position with at least one touchdown in every game thus far. The Rams defense also struggles against the run allowing the sixth-most 133.6 rushing yards per game. This is a matchup where both running backs should thrive similar to the Cowboys-Rams matchup from Week 4.
James Brimacombe: Leonard Fournette is averaging 24.4 touches a game and Todd Gurley is at the exact same number 24.4. I am having a hard time placing one of these backs ahead of the other as I can see both teams trying to get the ball into their star running backs hands as much as possible. Even if each team wants to establish a passing game, a good chunk of the targets will go to both of these backs. It will be a hard week to fade either one of these running backs and maybe rolling them both out in the same lineup might seem risky because of the game script, but it could be one of the rare RB vs RB battles that works out in the end.
Dan Hindery: I will have relatively heavy exposure to both. In GPPs, I like Todd Gurley the best at what I expect to be lower ownership than Leonard Fournette. The Rams defense has been slightly better against the pass (8th in DVOA) than against the run (18th in DVOA). But they do not have the extreme run/pass efficiency splits the Jacksonville defense does. Jacksonville is the best pass defense in the league (1st in DVOA) and second-worst against the run (31st in DVOA). Jacksonville is giving up a whopping 5.4 yards per carry on the ground. This is a game where the Rams will have to force-feed the ball to Gurley and he is facing a run defense he can have success against.
Chris Feery: A case can be made for both running backs as being the top selection at the position for Week 6. In fact, it’s not off the wall to consider rostering both of them in the same lineup. We have two defenses that struggle against the run facing off against two of the top producers on the young season. What’s not to love? There’s no reason to fade either one, but I’ll assume that Fournette will have a slightly higher ownership percentage due to the home field edge. To add to the appeal, both backs remain affordable enough across the industry that you can still build competitive rosters around them. Fitting both of them is a bit more challenging, but it’s still doable with some carefully placed value plays. I’ll have exposure to both players in this week’s lineups.
Justin Howe: These are indeed golden matchups: the Rams have allowed the most DFS points to opposing running backs, while the Jaguars have allowed the sixth-most on DraftKings and ninth-most on FanDuel. Both backs are absolute bell cows who contribute in both phases of the offense, and both backs hog their teams’ offenses near the goal line. I’m a little more interested in Gurley, who comes a bit cheaper on both DraftKings and FanDuel and has been the more dynamic player thus far. He’s excelled on the ground, out of the backfield, and even downfield in routes. Fournette is a bit more volume-dependent and therefore less flexible in terms of game script. I also trust Gurley’s quarterback a bit more to hold onto the ball and generate extra scoring opportunity. Still, I’m in the same boat as Mamula – I’ll have plenty of both, with Gurley highlighting my cash lineups.
Jason Wood: I'm fine with playing them both, and although the Jaguars are at home and slight favorites, I wouldn't be surprised if the Rams win this game. It's a case of two teams we all thought were bad playing much better under new coaches. Both defenses are opportunistic and capable of big plays, but both have given up plenty of fantasy points to opposing offensive players. There's a lot to be said about loading up on both Rams and Jaguars and hoping for a shootout. I'll have exposure to both Gurley and Fournette, although I slightly prefer Fournette.
