Ezekiel Elliott vs Leonard Fournette: Which free agent RB is a better 2023 Fantasy Football investment?

Ezekiel Elliott and Leonard Fournette find themselves in similar situations ahead of the 2023 NFL season. Both were cut by their former teams during the offseason and remain free agents. They appear to be two victims of the recent running back contract issue, and the veterans seek new teams by Week 1.

Their current free agent statuses put both Elliott and Fournette in trick Fantasy Football situations as well. It's difficult to predict their fantasy value before knowing which team they play for and when they will get a contract. Their destination will impact their potential role this year, while arrival time can dictate missed games to start the year.

While Ezekiel Elliott and Leonard Fournette are currently high-risk options in Fantasy Football drafts, that doesn't mean they need to be outright avoided. In fact, being free agents actually makes them potential buy-low candidates. They each currently carry an ADP between the 13th and 16th rounds, so they profile as late-round fliers with relative upside.

Their values will remain relatively unknown until they join a new team, but Leonard Fournette is a safer bet than Ezekiel Elliott in Fantasy Football.

Leonard Fournette's receiving upside gives him a fantasy edge over Ezekiel Elliott

Leonard Fournette

Receiving statistics are extremely valuable for running backs in Fantasy Football, especially in PPR leagues. Leonard Fournette has shown consistency as a receiver, especially for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Over the last four years, he has exceeded 80 targets and 450 receiving yards three times each.

His skillset suggests that Fournette can potentially join a new team as a receiving-back specialist as well as a committee rusher.

Ezekiel Elliott hasn't shown nearly the same receiving upside. He has exceeded those same metrics just once in his entire seven-year career with the Dallas Cowboys.

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At this point in his career, Elliott's two biggest weapons are his blocking skills and short-yardage gains. While these are useful in the real NFL, they carry much less value in Fantasy Football. No points are rewarded for blocking and his lack of explosiveness severely limits his total yardage projections.

Whichever team signs Elliott for the upcoming 2023 NFL season will likely utilize him the most in those two areas of strength. While being a short-yardage specialist can result in red zone touchdowns, this is an unreliable statistic for Fantasy Football.

Touchdown-dependent backs represent some of the most severe cases of boom-or-bust. For fantasy purposes, this makes Fournette the better option currently.