Fantasy Alert: Le'Veon Bell Targeted for More Snaps in 2020, Per Jets' Adam Gase

New York Jets head coach Adam Gase said Wednesday the team wants to increase its offensive pace in 2020 while also working to better utilize running back Le'Veon Bell.   

Gase told reporters the Jets' goal is running between 65 and 70 plays per game, which would likely rank inside the NFL's top 10. They averaged 59.8 plays last year to finish 28th, per TeamRankings.

The team's second-year coach added he did a "bad job" putting Bell in a position to succeed in 2019 and wants to focus on "getting the ball in his hands and letting him go do different things" this year.

Although comments made during training camp, when players are rested and healthy and coaches are planning on a 16-0 campaign, must be taken with a grain of salt, Gase's admission of mistakes in his handling of the offense last season is a positive sign.

In fantasy football circles, it provides a glimmer of hope that Bell may regain the high-end value he possessed during his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Bell, who sat out the entire 2018 campaign amid a contract dispute with the Steelers, recorded 1,250 yards from scrimmage—the lowest full-season total of his career—and just four total touchdowns across 15 appearances in his first year with the Jets.

In July, the 28-year-old Michigan State product promised a huge bounce-back season:

Bell backed that up again Wednesday, telling reporters he's "ready to show this is the best Le'Veon Bell that's ever played in the NFL."

If you exclude his injury-shortened 2015 season, Bell averaged 1,826 yards from scrimmage and 9.75 touchdowns in his other four seasons in Pittsburgh. Those are No. 1 running back numbers in any fantasy format, and he carried extra value in PPR leagues by averaging 72 catches in those years.

Bell's current average draft position is 46.9, which puts him on the borderline between the fourth and fifth rounds in 12-team leagues, per Yahoo Sports.

He'll far exceed that value if he stays healthy and Gase's vision for the Jets' offense comes to fruition. His wide-ranging skill set still gives him top-10 overall potential in a perfect world.

That said, Gase's comments are not enough evidence, especially without preseason games to help back them up, to suggest going all-in on Bell as a fantasy team's cornerstone is a good idea.

Taking him in the third round, a little earlier than his ADP, and betting on him to rebound may prove a worthwhile investment based on Gase's remarks, though.