Week 9 vs. Eagles
After a down week against the Ravens before the bye, Austin Ekeler was back to his old self in Week 8 against the Patriots. He amassed 21.4 fantasy points in half-PPR formats, giving him his fifth RB1 week in seven weeks this season. Only Derrick Henry and Jonathan Taylor have more fantasy points among running backs than Ekeler this season.
He should be in for another big week against the Eagles. This season, the Birds rank 27th in aFPA and have allowed a back to top 69 yards in four of their last five games. The Eagles have also given up an average of eight receptions to running backs over their last five games. Ekeler is a set and forget option in Week 9.
Week 8 vs. Patriots
The Week 7 bye week saw Austin Ekeler fall to RB4 for the season, although he remains behind only Derrick Henry in points per game. Ekeler is 18th in rushing yards among all running backs with 356, though he is tied for ninth with four rushing touchdowns. He also has 27 receptions for 242 yards and another three scores. He is the only player in the NFL this year with three or more touchdowns in both rushing and receiving. Ekeler has amassed at least 115 yards from scrimmage in each of his last three games, Ekeler has finished as a top 12 player at the running spot in four of his six games in 2021.
The Patriots have not been at their best against running backs in fantasy terms this season. They currently rank 19th in aFPA. Ekeler should be a top-tier RB1 this week assuming he gets on the field. Ekeler picked up a hip injury and did not practice on Thursday.
Week 6 vs. Ravens
Week 5 was another excellent week for Austin Eekler in his strong start to the 2021 campaign. Against the Browns, Ekeler saw a season-high 17 rushing attempts. He only managed 66 yards, but he found the end zone twice on the ground. Ekeler also saw five targets, his fourth game in a row with at least five looks, and scored a receiving touchdown for the third game in a row. Ekeler has six combined scores in his last three games. After a quiet Week 1, Ekeler has averaged 24.5 fantasy points per game in Half-PPR formats over the last four weeks. He is currently the RB2.
Ekeler is a weekly must-start in fantasy, and his Week 6 matchup should in no way deter his fantasy managers. The Ravens rank 26th in aFPA to RBs. They've allowed six rushing touchdowns to opposition backfields through five games, while only the Jets have allowed more receiving yards to tailbacks. If Mike Williams is forced to sit out due to injury, Ekeler and Keenan Allen should both get a bump in targets in Week 6.
Week 5 vs. Browns
Austin Ekeler's strong start to the season continued on Monday Night Football with a fine showing against the previously undefeated Las Vegas Raiders. Ekeler set new season highs with 15 rushing attempts for 117 yards, adding his second rushing score of the campaign. He added three receptions for 28 yards and an additional score through the air. Ekeler was the RB2 in Half PPR formats in Week 4 and occupies the same position in season-long scoring.
It'll be a tough matchup for Ekeler against the Browns this week. The Browns are first in aFPA to the running back spot after allowing just 206 rushing yards to opposition backfields through four weeks, They've also allowed only 12 receptions to running backs. Still, Ekeler's role and usage mean he remains a must-start RB1 option.
Week 4 vs. Raiders
The concerns surrounding Austin Ekeler's role in the passing game have subsided substantially over the last two weeks. After zero targets in Week 1, Ekeler has caught all 15 of his looks in the last two games and is currently eighth among all running backs with 113 receiving yards. Ekeler has been efficient with his opportunities this season, as despite only a 26% opportunity share (22nd among all running backs) he is currently the RB5 while averaging 19.0 fantasy points per game. The Raiders have not been too generous towards running backs in 2021, especially in the passing game. They've given up just 13 receptions for 233 yards to the position, although three of these receptions have gone for touchdowns. The Raiders are 24th in aFPA to the running back position through three weeks.
Week 2 vs. Chiefs
Austin Ekeler has 24 rushing attempts for 132 yards and a touchdown through two weeks of the season. He also enjoyed a return to the receiving game in Week 2, securing all nine of his targets for 61 yards. Ekeler is seeing 25% of the Chargers' opportunities so far this season, and a big game could be just around the corner. It could be this week, in fact. No team has allowed more rushing yards (404) than the Chiefs so far in 2021, while they also lead the league in rushing scores allowed (seven). The Chiefs allowed the seventh most aFPA to running backs a year ago, and through two weeks of the new season they've given up the third-most fantasy points to opposing backfields. Ekeler has the seventh-best matchup among all running backs heading into Week 3.
Week 2 vs. Cowboys
It was a fairly quiet start to the 2021 season for Austin Ekeler. He carried the ball 15 times for 57 yards, scoring a touchdown into the bargain. But he failed to draw a single target for just the fourth time in 57 regular-season games in his career. This shouldn't be a long-lasting issue, as Herbert explained that his wide receivers were winning their matchups and getting open. This played into the Chargers' strategy of looking to send the ball downfield. The targets will come for Ekeler. He still commanded 20% of the total offensive opportunities without any looks in the receiving game. The Cowboys were fairly solid on the ground in Week 1, allowing just 52 rushing yards. But the Buccaneers only attempted 14 rushes, the fewest in the league. They were generous to the Tampa Bay backs in the passing game, however, allowing a 7-39 line on 10 targets. Ekeler has the 15th best running back matchup this week according to our projections
Week 1 vs. Washington
Austin Ekeler endured an injury-hit 2020 campaign, limiting him to just 10 games in which he averaged 11.6 rushing attempts and 53 rushing yards per game. But he still finished among the leaders at his position in terms of receiving work. Ekeler commanded 65 targets, the eighth-most among all running backs, catching 54 for 403 yards. Ekeler averaged 13.8 fantasy points per game in Half-PPR formats, the same number as Ezekiel Elliott. Ekeler faces a tough matchup to start his 2021 season. Washington held running backs to 4.2 yards per attempt last year, giving up a total of 112.8 rushing yards per game. They also shut down tailbacks as receivers, giving up the fourth-fewest receptions and just 24.9 receiving yards per game to the position. All told, only six teams allowed fewer fantasy points per game to running backs than Washington. Ekeler faces the seventh toughest matchup of the week by our projections.
Fantasy Upside
Limited by a hamstring injury suffered in Week 4, Austin Ekeler played in just 10 games in 2020, seeing his production dwindle from 1,550 scrimmage yards in 2019 to 933 last season. In those 10 games, however, Ekeler averaged 4.6 yards per carry and 5.4 receptions per game (only Keenan Allen caught the ball more on average in 2020). Now healthy and entering a new offense under coordinator Joe Lombardi, Ekeler views himself as a chess piece the new play-caller can use in ways similar to how the Saints used Alvin Kamara. "I think that's something that I've learned about Joe coming in like this man is going to get his playmakers in space and situations where they can be successful," Ekeler said of the former Saints OC.
Fantasy Downside
According to the L.A. Times, to understand the impact Ekeler has had on the Chargers' offense, we should consider this: In his four seasons, he never has rushed for more than 557 yards. The Times went on to remind readers that three things -- splitting time with other backs, extensive usage as a receiver and injuries -- have tempered Ekeler's annual rushing haul. Since Sept. 29, 2019, he has one rushing touchdown.
2021 Bottom Line
The backfield in L.A. remains roughly the same as last season, with Ekeler leading the way ahead of Justin Jackson and Joshua Kelley. The club did add Larry Rountree III in the sixth round of the draft. It's a diverse backfield, but Ekeler fits best with how Lombardi prefers to use his backs, particularly in the passing game. If Ekeler stays healthy, expect him to return to his 1,200-plus scrimmage-yard ways.
Week 17 at Kansas City
Ekeler had a fine day last week against the Denver Broncos as he carried the ball 10 times for 45 yards and caught all three of his targets for 23 yards and a touchdown. Ekeler is clearly not at 100% healthy, but he still managed to salvage his fantasy game with a score.
This week Ekeler takes on the Kansas City Chiefs who are ranked 22nd in aFPA to RBs this season. With the Chargers to play without Keenan Allen and Hunter Henry once again, Ekeler will once again be leaned to carry the offensive load. Even at less-than-ideal health, Ekeler is still a strong RB1 this week.
