Le’Veon Bell Fantasy 2020
Categorizing Le’Veon Bell’s football career is polarizing. On one hand, Bell is a two-time All-Pro RB (2014, 17), and produced several outstanding fantasy seasons over his productive career. During his All-Pro campaigns, Bell finished with the third-highest total fantasy points and points per game in 2017, third in rushing yards and first in receiving yards among RBs. In 2014, he finished with the second-highest total fantasy points and points per game, second in rushing yards, and second in targets and receptions among RBs.
Bell climbed to the upper echelon of running backs, showcasing his multi-dimensional level of play, deserving of a large contract. However, Le’Veon Bell and the Pittsburgh Steelers were unable to come to a middle ground regarding Bell’s contract, and Bell held out to begin the 2018 season.
And he continued to hold out. After each passing week, those invested in Bell, Steelers players, coaches, fans, and fantasy managers that rostered Bell, would be stuck in limbo about when Bell would return. Unfortunately, he never returned for the Steelers, and sat out the entire 2018 season, leading to his release and signing a contract with the New Jersey Jets.
It would seem that after Bell secured a long-term contract, that he would return to his old self. However, Bell’s 2019 season failed to reach the level of play he produced as a member of the Steelers.
First, there were reports that head coach Adam Gase did not want to sign Bell in the first place. This was not the most ideal start to the coach-star RB relationship.
One disagreement between Adam Gase and Mike Maccagnan/Christopher Johnson…
Gase absolutely did not want to sign Le’Veon Bell, per sources. In fact, he made it clear that he didn’t want to spend a lot of money on any running back.
— Manish Mehta (@MMehtaNYDN) May 15, 2019
Second, it would appear throughout the season that Bell was not being utilized correctly, becoming a product of Gase’s system. The Jets struggled to run the ball as a unit, finishing 2019 with the second-lowest rushing yards per game among NFL teams (78.6), tied-last in yards per attempt (3.3), and second to last in total team rushing yards (1,257). According to Pro Football Focus, the Jets finished 28th in offensive line grades at the end of the 2019 season. Despite the ineffectiveness, Bell finished as the RB16 in PPR last season, maintaining the notion that Bell remains a more than capable ball carrier in the NFL.
Bell’s 2019 Quick Stats (Among RBs):
- Seventh highest Opportunity Share (76.8%)
- Seventh in targets and receptions (78 and 66)
- Ninth in receiving yards (461)
- Fourth highest Snap Share (87.2%)
- 11th most rushing attempts (246)
- 23rd most rushing yards (789)
- 51st highest YPC (3.2)
- Three rushing TDs (31st)
2020 Season Outlook:
Bell’s 2020 season can swing in either direction. Bell could become a committee back, especially after the signing of Frank Gore and drafting Lamical Perine. There have even been rumors about Bell being traded if the Jets are out of contention by the NFL trade deadline.
However, that being said, there is optimism for Bell heading into the 2020 season. He’ll be given every opportunity to succeed. This offseason, the Jets upgraded their offensive line by using their 2020 first-round pick on Mekhi Becton out of Louisville. The Jets also signed Greg Van Roten, Connor McGovern, George Fant, and Alex Lewis, guard to bolster their O-Line.
Bell enters 2020 as the RB19 with an ADP of 31.5. Bell could be in-line for some positive regression, especially if the Jets commit to the run game more in 2020. Bell is capable of producing at a high level. I think his ADP is a bit too high for the production he will provide as a member of the Jets. If you can draft him at a reasonable price or trade for him without giving away too much capital, he is more suited as a solid RB2 more so than an RB1 this year in fantasy.
