Ronald Jones II, LeSean McCoy's Fantasy Outlook After Leonard Fournette Injury

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense will be short-handed Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers with running back Leonard Fournette (ankle) and wide receiver Chris Godwin (hamstring) ruled out because of injuries.

Ronald Jones II and LeSean McCoy are first and second, respectively, on the team's running back depth chart sans Fournette.

From a fantasy perspective, this could be a good spot to start Jones. ESPN's Matthew Berry listed Jones' numbers when he gets 15 or more touches:

Jones has averaged 14.3 touches per game despite sharing the backfield with Fournette and McCoy. Without Fournette, expect that number to rise north of 15.

However, Jones hasn't been efficient this season, rushing for 3.8 yards per carry. He also hasn't featured much in the pass game, catching just six Tom Brady passes (on nine targets) for 40 yards.

Furthermore, the Chargers run defense has been phenomenal.

Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon rushed for 69 yards on 19 carries and added a catch for two yards in Week 1 versus the Bolts.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire had just 38 rushing yards on 10 carries without a touchdown. He stayed busy in the pass game with eight targets, converting them into six catches for 32 yards.

Carolina Panthers running back Mike Davis found fantasy success against L.A. in Week 3, but that was largely thanks to volume. He turned nine targets into eight receptions for 45 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, Davis struggled with 46 rushing yards on 13 carries.

For those scoring at home, the top running backs to face the Chargers have combined for just 153 rushing yards on 42 carries (3.6 yards per carry).

Given Jones' rough rushing start coupled with the Chargers' tough run defense, don't expect a lot of production on the ground.

Jones likely won't be utilized much in the aerial attack based on his history. He's posted two catches per game this year after a 2019 season when he averaged 1.9 receptions.

Still, the volume will be there to give Jones a decent floor. His ceiling isn't high unless he falls into a goal-line touchdown or breaks off an explosive run, but the ex-USC star is worthy of consideration as an RB2/flex option.

On the flip side, McCoy is best left on benches or waiver wires. He's had just one carry on the season and lost five yards. He's caught eight passes for 52 yards.

His volume should increase as the second running back on the depth chart, but there isn't enough evidence to suggest he'll be a trustworthy player to start.