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

Yordan Alvarez

Resumes Swinging -- Return Imminent?
Jake Burger

to Miss an Additional 2-3 Weeks
TreVeyon Henderson

Signs Rookie Contract
Christian Watson

Goes on PUP List
Austin Riley

Hopes to be Activated Next Week
Ketel Marte

Lands on Restricted List After Burglary
Ricky Pearsall

Heads to PUP List
Brandon Aiyuk

Placed on PUP List
Luther Burden III

Signs Rookie Deal
Washington Nationals

Eli Willits Expected to Sign Contract on Saturday
Grayson Rodriguez

Being Shut Down Again - Will We See Him Again This Year?
Ezequiel Tovar

Activated and Back in Lineup on Friday
Max Fried

"Hopeful" to Pitch Next Week - Looks Like He'll Avoid IL Stint
Steven Kwan

Receives Injection in Wrist, Considered Day-to-Day
CJ Abrams

Back to Start Second Half
Alec Bohm

Back From Rib Injury on Friday
Trey Hendrickson

Holdout to Spill into Regular Season?
Jalen McMillan

Bucs Offensive Coordinator Not Forgetting About Jalen McMillan
Levi Onwuzurike

to Miss at Least Four Games
Nick Emmanwori

Seahawks, Nick Emmanwori Reach Agreement on Rookie Deal
Max Holloway

Set For Main Event
Brandon Lowe

Back From 10-Day Injured List
Dustin Poirier

Set For His Final UFC Fight
Roman Kopylov

Set For Co-Main Event
Paulo Costa

Returns At UFC 318
Luis L. Ortiz

to Remain on Leave for Another Month - Will he Pitch Again?
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks For Third Win In A Row
Kevin Holland

Set For His Fourth Fight This Year
Dan Ige

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Patricio Freire Set For His Second UFC Fight
Daniel Zellhuber

Set To Open Up UFC 318 Main Card
Michael Johnson

Looks For Third Consecutive Win
Elijah Arroyo

Signs Rookie Deal
Jaydon Blue

Described as "Borderline Lazy"
T.J. Sanders

Bills Sign T.J. Sanders to Rookie Deal
Christian Wilkins

Raiders Put Christian Wilkins on PUP List
Jabari Small

Lions Add Jabari Small to Backfield
Quinshon Judkins

Remains Unsigned, Won't Report With Rest of Rookies
Mason Taylor

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Jets
Hendon Hooker

Leading Lions QB2 Battle Entering Training Camp
Ozzy Trapilo

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Bears
Tate Ratledge

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Lions
Jack Bech

Signs Rookie Contract with Raiders
Yegor Chinakhov

Requests Trade
Dakota Joshua

Maple Leafs Acquire Dakota Joshua
Lukas Dostal

Signs Five-Year Extension with Ducks
Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Damian Lillard

Returning to Portland
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Kyle Schwarber

Named All-Star Game MVP
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Clayton Kershaw

Retires Both Batters In ASG Appearance
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF