Leonard Fournette is a Risky Bet Against the Eagles in his Return to Action

The NFL Playoffs kick off this weekend with a full slate of games on Saturday and Sunday. One of the more interesting matchups features the reigning champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home against the seventh-seeded Philadelphia Eagles. The game features some big names, future Hall of Famers and a pair of very good coaches. While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 8.5-point favorites at WynnBET Sportsbook, many are saddling up with the underdogs to keep things close.

There are a number of good reasons to fade the Buccanneers, such as the loss of their two best wide receivers in the last few weeks. This leaves a lot of the burden to fall on Leonard Fournette’s shoulders as the Bucs' starting running back. There are several reasons to be suspicious of Fournette in this game and make him a risky player to trust in the player prop market. 

First and foremost, is Fournette’s health. Fournette hasn’t been on the field since Dec. 19 in the Bucs' shutout loss to the Saints. He suffered a hamstring injury during the loss that has held him out ever since. Technically, Fournette is still on IR and has not yet practiced with the team. He has, apparently, worked with the training staff off to the side during practice. This does not scream to me that Fournette is ready to go. It is more likely the Bucs need him to play because Ronald Jones will miss this game with an ankle injury and backup Giovani Bernard is questionable. 

Another reason to be cautious with Fournette’s player props this weekend is the Eagles’ strong rushing defense. The Eagles rank sixth in the league in terms of yards per rush and ninth in rushing yards allowed per game at 107.9. 

While WynnBET Sportsbook doesn’t have player props listed yet for this game, I would think twice before betting OVER on Fournette’s rushing props. In contrast, I think that Fournette’s receiving props will make for a great play after four straight games with at least seven targets out of the backfield. He has seven catches in three of his last four games and has at least six snags in five of his last six games. So, it's more of a situational fade of Fournette who I expect to struggle on the ground against Philly.