X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

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
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Stop That Hype Train! Ronald Jones

What Appears In This Article? hide

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers enter 2019 with high offensive expectations under new Head Coach Bruce Arians. In 2018, the Bucs were third in total offense with 6,738 yards. They led the league in passing with a total of 5,125 yards, which accounted for 76 percent of their total offense. Rushing the ball, however, was a much different tale. They finished 29th in the league with a total of 1,523 rushing yards. The only teams worse on the ground than Tampa Bay in 2018 were the Vikings, Steelers, and Cardinals.

In 2018, the Bucs rushing attack was led by Peyton Barber. Barber carried the ball 234 times for 871 yards and 5 touchdowns. Aside from Barber, the leading rushers on the team were the two quarterbacks in Jameis Winston (281 yards) and Ryan Fitzpatrick (152 yards). If this isn't bad enough, their next two leading rushers in Jacquizz Rodgers and Ronald Jones II had 106 yards and 44 yards rushing, respectively. In total, their running backs combined for 1,050 rushing yards.

Can the Bucs improve on these rushing totals in 2019? If the answer is yes, then Ronald Jones will almost certainly have to play a key role in the rushing attack. Last seasons 23 carries for 44 yards just won't cut it. Let's take a deeper look into what Jones brings to the table in 2019, and whether or not he can make the impact his current ADP of 115 suggests he should.

Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers won two writing awards and received 12 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. A big congrats to our very own Byron Lindeque (Golf) and Jordan McAbee (NASCAR) for both winning Writer Of The Year awards! Be sure to follow RotoBaller's analysis and advice all year long, and win more. Win More With RotoBaller!

 

Ronald Jones (RB, TB) ADP: 115 RB: 43

Jones had a forgettable 2018 season to say the least. He did not play in Weeks 1-3 due to the coaching staff feeling he was not ready, and he missed Weeks 9-12 due to a hamstring injury. When Jones did play, he performed lackluster at best. He only carried the ball 23 times for 44 yards, which is an average of 1.9 yards per carry. He also performed poorly in the Bucs' explosive passing attack where he only hauled in seven of nine targets for 33 yards.

At no point was he given lead back duties, and he did not register a carry in weeks 14-17. He was only on the field for a total of 90 offensive snaps the entire season, and only 18 offensive snaps in the final five weeks. This is a guy that was basically non-existent, yet there is still hype surrounding him heading into 2019 as his 115 ADP suggests. Perhaps the metrics tell a different story?

With such limited action in 2018, the metrics are going to be skewed, but they can be examined to determine what type of player Jones might be. One area where he performed well is catch rate. He managed to catch seven of his nine targets for a 77.8 percent catch rate. This was good for top 38 percent in the league. Again, it is a small sample size but shows he was able to handle a majority of his targets. The two targets he did not haul in, unfortunately, were drops. This put his drop rate at 22.2 percent, which was worst in the league. Again, keep in mind the small sample size, but you still cannot drop multiple passes on so few targets and continue to be targeted by the quarterback.

Jones performed miserably in several other metrics. He had a positive run percentage of just 69.6 percent, which ranked him in the bottom four percent of league running backs. Another area he performed poorly is yards after contact. Jones averaged only two yards after contact. This placed him in the bottom 10% of running backs. Running backs are often going to face contact running through gaps, and averaging two yards after such contact is not acceptable. He also only averaged 5.9 yards after the catch, which again, ranked near the bottom of running backs league-wide. All of these poor metrics likely contributed to his lack of playing time down the stretch.

2019 is a new year, but it will likely be the same story for Jones. In the Bucs' second preseason game versus Miami, Jones only carried the ball two times for seven yards and had a 15-yard kick return. One has to wonder how serious he is as a lead back contender if he is still returning kicks. He also missed practice Monday, August 19 due to what coach Bruce Arians deemed "soreness" in his knee. None of this is good news for the second-year back as playing time would seem especially crucial to him becoming trusted and earning a spot in this offense.

Overall, Ronald Jones seems like a running back to avoid in 2019 fantasy drafts. If you must draft a running back around pick 115, some other names to consider are Devin Singletary, Adrian Peterson, or Peyton Barber. The latter just happens to be listed atop the current Buccaneers' depth chart ahead of Jones and is likely to be the starter once again.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Zac Gallen6 hours ago

Gets Opening Day Nod
Nolan Schanuel7 hours ago

Injury Isn't Serious
Isaiah Stewart7 hours ago

Injured Against Boston
Duncan Robinson8 hours ago

Doesn't Return On Monday
Jackson Chourio8 hours ago

Makes Opening Day Roster
Anthony Davis8 hours ago

Cleared To Meet Atlanta
Blake Snell8 hours ago

Heading To The Giants
Onyeka Okongwu8 hours ago

To Return On Monday
Bryce McGowens9 hours ago

Unavailable For Tuesday
Tyus Jones9 hours ago

Won't Play On Tuesday
Deni Avdija10 hours ago

Unavailable For Tuesday
Nick Martinez10 hours ago

To Open The Year In The Rotation
OG Anunoby10 hours ago

Set For Multi-Game Absence
Kyle Kuzma10 hours ago

Uncertain For Tuesday
Luka Doncic10 hours ago

Considered Probable For Tuesday
Matt McLain10 hours ago

Scratched With Shoulder Soreness
Bilal Coulibaly10 hours ago

Ruled Out For Rest Of Season
Kenley Jansen10 hours ago

Scheduled To Make Four More Spring Appearances
Jackson Chourio10 hours ago

"In The Mix" For Roster Spot
Rudy Gobert10 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday
Scoot Henderson10 hours ago

Returns To Starting Unit Without Restrictions
Matisse Thybulle10 hours ago

Available Again On Monday
Jerami Grant10 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Monday
Lauri Markkanen10 hours ago

Returns To Action On Monday
Alex Caruso11 hours ago

Ready To Roll Monday
Coby White11 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday
Kristaps Porzingis11 hours ago

Returns To Celtics Lineup
Jaylen Brown11 hours ago

Ready To Go On Monday
Jayson Tatum11 hours ago

Won't Play Against Detroit
Teuvo Teravainen11 hours ago

Misses Second Straight Game
Joshua Dobbs11 hours ago

49ers Reach Agreement With Joshua Dobbs
TOR11 hours ago

Mitch Marner To Miss At Least Two More Games
Jacob Markstrom11 hours ago

Could Return This Weekend
Rico Dowdle11 hours ago

Staying With Cowboys
Mikhail Sergachev11 hours ago

Skates On Monday
Dustin Wolf12 hours ago

Between The Pipes Monday
New Orleans Saints12 hours ago

Saints Expected To Sign Chase Young
Alexander Mattison12 hours ago

Signing With Raiders
DJ LeMahieu13 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Opening Day
Buffalo Bills13 hours ago

Taron Johnson Re-Signs With Bills On Three-Year Deal
José Urquidy13 hours ago

Jose Urquidy Has Forearm Strain, Will Begin On Injured List
Justin Verlander13 hours ago

Expected To Face Hitters "In The Next Day Or Two"
Corey Seager13 hours ago

Takes Batting Practice Monday
Aaron Judge14 hours ago

Likely To Play In Four Of Final Six Spring Games
Garrett Crochet14 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Nolan Schanuel14 hours ago

Scratched With Back Tightness
Dallas Cowboys14 hours ago

Leighton Vander Esch Calling It A Career
DJ LeMahieu15 hours ago

Still Pretty Sore
Aaron Judge15 hours ago

To Return On Wednesday
Jhoan Duran15 hours ago

To Begin Season On Injured List
Bryan Battle16 hours ago

Bout Ends in Controversy
Ange Loosa16 hours ago

Fight Ruled A No-Contest After Accidental Eye Poke
Ovince Saint Preux16 hours ago

Wins Split Decision In A Back-And-Forth Fight
Kennedy Nzechukwu16 hours ago

Suffers Split-Decision Loss To Ovince Saint Preux
Gerald Meerschaert16 hours ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Shohei Ohtani16 hours ago

Cleared To Begin Throwing Program
Bryan Barberena16 hours ago

Submitted In The Second Round
Kyle Manzardo16 hours ago

Sent To Minor-League Camp
Jackson Merrill17 hours ago

Wins Center Field Job
Denny Hamlin17 hours ago

Emerges Victorious For Second Bristol Win In A Row
Alexander Mattison18 hours ago

Visiting With Raiders
Dak Prescott18 hours ago

Cowboys Restructure Dak Prescott's Contract
Dmitry Orlov19 hours ago

Collects Four Points In Big Win
Tyler Toffoli19 hours ago

Dominates Against Columbus With Three Points
Lucas Raymond19 hours ago

Pots Pair Of Goals Versus Penguins
Kaz Grala19 hours ago

Finishes 19th At Bristol Motor Speedway
Bo Horvat19 hours ago

Scores Twice In Losing Effort
Brad Keselowski19 hours ago

Exceeds Value In DFS At Bristol Motor Speedway
Pavel Buchnevich19 hours ago

Delivers Three Assists In Sunday's Win
Ryan Lindgren20 hours ago

Suffers Leg Injury Versus Islanders
Kyle Larson20 hours ago

After 5th at Bristol: "I Hope I Never Have To Run A Race Like That Again"
Chase Elliott20 hours ago

Earns First Top 10 Finish Of 2024
Justin Haley20 hours ago

Earns Best NextGen Short Track Finish for Rick Ware Racing
Ty Gibbs20 hours ago

Has Dominant Day at Bristol but Fades Late
John Hunter Nemechek1 day ago

Found Speed At Bristol
Chris Buescher1 day ago

Secures Top 10 At Bristol
Alex Bowman1 day ago

Late Charge to Fourth Masks Early Race Struggles
Christopher Bell1 day ago

Ran Well, But His Teammates Were All Better
Martin Truex Jr1 day ago

. Matches Career-Best Finish At Bristol
Ryan Blaney1 day ago

Fades to 16th at Bristol After Handling Struggles
Russell Wilson2 days ago

Still Considered The Starter
William Byron2 days ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Bristol
Ty Gibbs2 days ago

Starts 19th At Bristol After Damage In Practice
Justin Haley2 days ago

Scores A Starting Position Of 32nd For Bristol
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Should Compete For The Win At Bristol
Brad Keselowski2 days ago

History Indicates Brad Keselowski Being A Favorable Bristol Play
Joey Logano2 days ago

Should Be Rostered With Caution At Bristol
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Is Tyler Reddick Worth Rostering At Bristol This Week?
Martin Truex Jr2 days ago

. Could Work As A Tournament Play At Bristol
Alexander Nylander2 days ago

Totals Three Points In Saturday's Win
Sebastian Aho2 days ago

Leads Hurricanes To Victory In Toronto
Owen Tippett2 days ago

Delivers Three Assists In High-Scoring Loss
Steven Stamkos2 days ago

Extends Scoring Streak With Four-Point Performance
Nick Schmaltz2 days ago

Records Three Assists In Win Over New Jersey
Artemi Panarin2 days ago

Racks Up Five Points In Saturday's Win
Brady Tkachuk2 days ago

Sinks Islanders With Third Hat Trick
Pannie Kianzad2 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Macy Chiasson2 days ago

Gets First-Round Submission Win
Isaac Dulgarian2 days ago

Suffers First Career Loss
Christian Rodriguez2 days ago

Overcomes Early Adversity At UFC Vegas 88
Tai Tuivasa2 days ago

Suffers Fourth Straight Loss
Marcin Tybura2 days ago

Gets First-Round Submission
Justin Fields2 days ago

Traded To The Steelers
NHL2 days ago

Lukas Reichel Will Be In The Lineup Sunday
Cale Makar2 days ago

A Game-Time Decision Saturday
Zach Parise2 days ago

Likely To Return Saturday
Michael Gallup3 days ago

Panthers Bringing In Michael Gallup For A Visit
Mike Williams3 days ago

Panthers To Host Mike Williams On A Visit
New York Jets3 days ago

Jets Expected To Sign Tyron Smith
AJ Dillon3 days ago

Officially Re-Signs With Packers
Van Jefferson3 days ago

Steelers Signing Van Jefferson
Jakobi Meyers3 days ago

Raiders Restructure Jakobi Meyers' Contract
Jimmy Garoppolo4 days ago

Rams Agree With Jimmy Garoppolo On One-Year Deal
Gerald Meerschaert4 days ago

To Fight In Main Event Of UFC Vegas 88
Bryan Barberena4 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Kennedy Nzechukwu4 days ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Ovince Saint Preux4 days ago

Set For 27th UFC Appearance
Bryan Battle4 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Ange Loosa4 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 88
San Francisco 49ers4 days ago

De'Vondre Campbell Heading To San Francisco
Dallas Cowboys4 days ago

Leighton Vander Esch Being Cut By Cowboys
Michael Gallup4 days ago

Cowboys Releasing Michael Gallup
Kenny Pickett4 days ago

Steelers Sending Kenny Pickett To Eagles
Pannie Kianzad5 days ago

Looking For Redemption At UFC Vegas 88
Macy Chiasson5 days ago

Ends Layoff At UFC Vegas 88
Isaac Dulgarian5 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 88
Christiaan Bezuidenhout6 days ago

Looking To Put It All Together At TPC Sawgrass
Eric Cole6 days ago

Rebounding Well In The Sunshine State
Brian Harman6 days ago

Playing The Dark-Horse Role Again At The Players
Matt Fitzpatrick6 days ago

Searching For Answers Thus Far In 2024
Sahith Theegala6 days ago

One Of The Tour's Fastest Risers To Start The New Year
Sam Burns6 days ago

Brings A Stellar Run Of Form Into TPC Sawgrass
PGA6 days ago

Sungjae Im Trending Up After Arnold Palmer Success
Jason Day6 days ago

Facing Iron Hiccup Heading To The Players
Tom Hoge6 days ago

Brings Strong Form And History To Sawgrass
Min Woo Lee6 days ago

Ready For Second Trip To Sawgrass
Will Zalatoris6 days ago

Working Toward A Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF