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

2018 ADP Throwdown - Melvin Gordon vs. Leonard Fournette

Which running back's ADP will lead to greater fantasy value in 2018: Melvin Gordon or Leonard Fournette? RotoBaller writers Dom Petrillo and Taylor Maxston throw down in a player vs player debate to help fantasy football owners prepare for their upcoming drafts.

Fantasy football draft season is upon us and RotoBaller is here to help! In this series, two RotoBaller experts will discuss the merits of two players with similar value and average draft position (ADP). Remember that situations will change for all players over the course of the summer and it may impact where they are selected in drafts.

This article comes from staff writers Dominick Petrillo and Taylor Maxston who compare two running backs in standard formats with ADPs that fall around the end of the first round.

Dominick argues in favor of last season’s RB-5 in Los Angeles Chargers workhorse Melvin Gordon, while Taylor advocates for a player who took over the lion’s share of carries in his team’s backfield as a rookie (finishing as the RB-8 in standard scoring) in Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette.

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

 

Opening Statements: Who Do You Draft?

Melvin Gordon is the Engine that Runs the Chargers Offense – Dominick Petrillo

The Los Angeles Chargers are a popular sleeper pick to make the Super Bowl in 2018. If this is going to happen, it won't be just because of their great young defense, but also because of the prolific offense. While Philip Rivers is going to have a wonderful season with weapons like Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, the engine which will make the hype train continue is Melvin Gordon. With everyone writing him off after his less than stellar rookie season, Melvin Gordon showed out in 2016 to come up just short of the 1,000-yard mark with 997 yards in 13 games. While coming up short in the 2016 season, he also showed his ability to be a pass-catching back and a touchdown maker in both the passing game and the running game. He showed much of the same in 2017, finishing with 1,105 yards and eight rushing touchdowns on 284 carries. While carrying the ball an impressive 284 times he also caught 58 receptions for 476 yards and four additional touchdowns on 83 targets out of the backfield.

Having a running back get so much work out of the backfield is a rarity in today's NFL. In a time where committees such as those in Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia and New England seem to be turning into the norm, Gordon is one of the few running backs whom we can still consider a bell cow. While there are a few out there who get the rushing work of Gordon, not many also get the amount of receiving work to bolster their stats even more. The few who do in David Johnson, Todd Gurley and Le’Veon Bell are the elite backs in the game and it is about time we added Melvin Gordon to their ranks by the end of this season. Going as the ninth pick in fantasy drafts, he is a safer play than some of those who are currently going higher than him. While a player like Leonard Fournette will have the rushing attempts to match, he is not a receiving back and his injury questions make him more of a risk along with rookie Saquon Barkley whom, although supposedly great is unproven.

Leonard Fournette Puts the “Feature” in Feature Back – Taylor Maxston

While the Jacksonville Jaguars offense as a whole won’t necessarily be inspiring fear in the hearts of defensive coordinators, their bell cow running back is one name that they won’t look forward to having to face on Sunday. Leonard Fournette put the “feature” in feature back during his rookie campaign en route to averaging an impressive 23.4 touches per game as the head of the Jaguars backfield. Despite missing three games last season, he was one of just six rushers to top 300 touches and tied for third at the position in rushing scores. While impressive, his RB-8 finish certainly could have been higher if an ankle injury hadn’t caused him to miss time in the middle of the season.

Volume is king in standard formats and there is little doubt that Fournette is a candidate for reaching the 300-touch mark once again while potentially leading the league in carries if he can stay on the field. The Jacksonville Jaguars are committed to pounding the rock and repeating on their league-leading rushing yards per game rank from 2017, as evidenced by them signing an elite guard in Andrew Norwell to improve an offensive line that Pro Football Focus has currently ranked as a top-15 unit compared to the Los Angeles Chargers 23rd ranked group. If quarterback Blake Bortles can continue his competent play from late last season where he averaged 288.6 passing yards per game over his last five contests, Fournette should face some lighter defensive fronts as he works towards a top-10 fantasy finish.

 

Rebuttals: Why Take One Over the Other?

Melvin Gordon’s Reception Upside Puts Him Above Leonard Fournette – Dominick Petrillo

With the health of Melvin Gordon not being nearly the concern level of Leonard Fournette, who has not been healthy since high school, the floor of Gordon far outweighs that of Fournette. While they both will get close to, if not break the 300-carry threshold, Gordon will get another 50 to 60 touches on top of this in the pass game while Fournette will acquiesce the passing down role to T.J. Yeldon in Jacksonville. With the additional points garnered by the reception itself and the receiving yards as well as the additional touchdown potential that comes with it, Gordon will finish higher in the fantasy running back rankings this season much like he did in 2017. Both Gordon and Fournette finished with an identical 3.9 Y/A average meaning given the same workload, the only separation in the two are those reception totals which go as we said the way of Gordon for more upside. With this said, seeing they are only going one pick apart if you have the eighth or ninth pick in the draft, even higher in some leagues, Melvin Gordon should clearly be the choice.

Leonard Fournette Will Outperform Melvin Gordon if They Play in the Same Number of Games – Taylor Maxston

Deciding between Melvin Gordon and Leonard Fournette in standard leagues is quite literally an exercise in splitting hairs. While Gordon’s receiving ability is certainly helpful, it doesn’t necessarily have as much value as it would in PPR formats. In fact, speaking strictly in terms of rushing ability, Fournette averaged more attempts per game (20.6 to 17.8) and rushing yards per game (80.0 to 69.1) than Gordon did last season. The only reason why Fournette finished three spots behind Gordon in standard leagues was his missed time due to an ankle injury, as extrapolating his 14 fantasy point per game average out over the weeks he didn’t play would have landed him in the top-five for fantasy running backs.

Although Fournette’s foot and ankle issues are concerning, the sophomore running back is clearly taking steps to help avoid re-injury by dropping weight this offseason. Gordon has also dealt with his fair share of lower body injuries in his career and, according to SportsInjuryPredictor.com, has nearly the same chance of aggravating an injury in 2018 as Fournette. With the Jacksonville Jaguars bringing back the pieces from the second-best overall defense in yards allowed per game that helped translate to the fifth-best time of possession last season, expect Fournette to receive the workload and score the touchdowns that fantasy owners crave.

 

More Player ADP Comparison Articles




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

Brice Matthews

Joining Astros
MLB

White Sox-Guardians Postponed on Thursday
Brandon Aiyuk

Likely to Begin Season on PUP List, but Not Ruled Out for Week 1
Jameson Williams

Not in the Team's Long-Term Plans?
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Micah Parsons

Plans to be Present for Start of Training Camp
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Ikem Ekwonu

Next Up for Extension in Carolina?
Jalen Thompson

Heading into Last Year With Cardinals?
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Najee Harris

Suffers Eye Injury in Fireworks Mishap
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Nick Nash

Unlikely to Make Falcons Active Roster
Lane Johnson

in No Rush To Retire
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Blake Corum

has "Gotten His Speed Back"
Jarquez Hunter

Picking Up Rams Offense Quickly
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Kirk Cousins

Feels Misled by Falcons
Bijan Robinson

Says Falcons Have "Outlandish Goals" for the Running Game
Luther Burden III

Bears Expect Luther Burden III to be Ready for Training Camp
Cole Kmet

an Unlikely Trade Piece
Tony Pollard

Titans Hope to Balance Rushing Attack With Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Quentin Johnston

Not Assured of Starting Role
Cordarrelle Patterson

on the Roster Bubble in Pittsburgh?
Shedeur Sanders

Not Assured of Roster Spot in Cleveland?
Wan'Dale Robinson

Hoping For More Downfield Opportunities
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
Cleveland Browns

Greg Newsome on the Trade Block?
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Zach Tom

An Extension Candidate in Green Bay
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Trevor Williams

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Byron Buxton

Exits After Hit-by-Pitch, X-Rays Negative
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Playing on Wednesday
Alex Bregman

has "Really Good Chance" to Return Before All-Star Break
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Expected to Return on Friday
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Carter Bryant

Struggles in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Drops a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Oklahoma City Thunder

Malevy Leons Logs Impressive Summer League Outing on Tuesday
Dalton Knecht

Collects 25 Points in Lakers Summer League Win
Los Angeles Lakers

Darius Bazley Drops 27 Points in Summer League on Tuesday
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Chet Holmgren

Agrees to Rookie Max Extension
Alex Bregman

Not Returning Wednesday
Jhoan Duran

Unavailable Due to Illness
Shane McClanahan

Tosses Clean Frame in First Rehab Appearance
Jacob Wilson

Day-to-Day After HBP
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. to be Reassessed Wednesday
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Malaki Branham

Traded to Washington
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Blake Wesley

Moves to Washington
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Kelly Olynyk

on the Move Again
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Cal Raleigh

Continues Historic Homer Pace Tuesday
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF