NFL Network's Ian Rapoport tweeted that the Chargers were "just being cautious" by limiting RB Austin Ekeler (abdomen) in Thursday's practice. It sounds like Ekeler should be fine for this weekend's game vs. the Falcons, but we'll get another update on his status tomorrow.
Chargers RB Austin Ekeler was added to the injury report and limited on Thursday with an abdomen issue. He spoke to reporters before the workout and made no mention of an injury, so it looks like this happened during Thursday's practice. We'll see what Ekeler does in Friday's practice and how he's listed on the final injury report. His absence vs. the Falcons this weekend would leave Sony Michel as Los Angeles' likely lead back, with rookie Isaiah Spiller the #2.
Chargers RB Austin Ekeler delivered a big receiving line in Sunday's loss to the Seahawks. He caught all 12 of his targets for 96 yards and 1 of QB Justin Herbert's 2 TD passes. Ekeler added a 9-31-1 rushing line, handling 75% off the team's RB carries for the game. WR Mike Williams posted a strong 7-86-1 receiving line on 9 targets before hurting his right ankle. TE Gerald Everett added 5-63 receiving on a matching 9 looks.
Chargers RB Joshua Kelley sprained an MCL in Monday night's win over the Broncos and is expected to miss 2-4 weeks. That leaves Sony Michel as Los Angeles' #2 RB and means that we might see rookie RB Isaiah Spiller active on game days. Michel should be rostered in fantasy leagues of 12+ teams as the short-term Austin Ekeler handcuff.
Chargers RB Joshua Kelley injured his knee in the 1st half of Monday night's game vs. the Broncos and didn't return. That left Sony Michel as Los Angeles' #2 RB. We'll see about the severity of Kelley's injury. If he's going to miss multiple weeks, Michel will be worth stashing as the Austin Ekeler handcuff.
Chargers RB Austin Ekeler racked up 173 yards on 16 carries in Sunday's narrow victory at Cleveland. He added 4 catches fore 26 yards, scoring TDs on a run and a reception. That makes 5 TDs over the past 2 games for Ekeler, who even ceded a 5-yard rushing score to RB Joshua Kelley against the Browns. Kelley totaled 49 yards on 10 rushes, plus 33 more on 2 receptions. RB Sony Michel barely played, getting on the field for just 2 snaps.
Chargers RB Austin Ekeler scored twice on the ground in Sunday's win over the Texans, amid 13 carries for 60 yards. He added a 14-yard receiving TD in the 4th quarter, among 6 catches for 49 yards. It marked the 3rd time in 4 games that Ekeler got at least 18 touches. Joshua Kelley and Sony Michel combined to play 10 fewer snaps combined.
Chargers RB Austin Ekeler logged just 4 carries for 5 yards in Sunday's lopsided loss to the Jaguars. The score might have been a factor in the 2nd half, but Ekeler carried just twice through the entire 1st half of a game that stood at 16-10 early in the 3rd quarter. Ekeler did lead the Chargers with 8 receptions (for 48 yards) to salvage some PPR value. But he was splitting opportunities with Sony Michel early in the game. Ekeler wound up running 26 routes to 13 combined for Michel and Joshua Kelley, but that pair played just 7 fewer snaps overall. Ekeler ranks just 25th in the league in carries through 3 games, with Ezekiel Elliot close enough to pass him Monday night. Ekeler ranked 16th in the league in rushing attempts last season; 20th in carries per game.
After underwhelming usage and production in the opener, Chargers RB Austin Ekeler turned in a more promising Week 2. He carried 14 times for just 39 yards but added 9 catches on 10 targets for 55 yards. Ekeler's snap rate climbed from 49% in Week 1 to 63% in Week 2; his route rate from 37% to 60%. If he can stick around that level of usage, Ekeler will be an easy PPR RB1.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that Chargers WR Keenan Allen's hamstring injury is not expected to be a "long-term" deal. But Pelissero confirms that Allen is "unlikely" to be ready for Thursday night's showdown with the Chiefs. That's obviously a big loss for the Chargers but frees up targets for Austin Ekeler, Mike Williams, Josh Palmer and Gerald Everett. See where all those guys sit in the Week 2 Rankings.
Chargers RB Austin Ekeler registered a 49% snap rate and 18 opportunities (carries + targets) in the Week 1 win over the Raiders. He played 58+% of the offensive snaps in all 14 of his healthy games last season. Ekeler averaged 19.1 opportunities across those 14 games, dipping below 18 just 5 times. We'll continue to monitor Ekeler's usage going forward. He remains an obvious must-start but might not be the elite fantasy RB he was last year if the Chargers are serious about scaling back his snaps and touches.
The Chargers list Sony Michel and Joshua Kelley as co-#2 RBs on their Week 1 depth chart. It feels notable that Michel has already climbed that high just a week after joining the Chargers. Rookie RB Isaiah Spiller remains 4th on the depth chart. We'll have a better feel for what this backfield looks like behind Austin Ekeler after Week 1, but Michel looks like the Chargers RB to target in remaining fantasy drafts behind Ekeler.
The Chargers announced Wednesday that they have signed RB Sony Michel. Cut this week by the Dolphins, Michel now has a chance to quickly work his way to the #2 role in a Chargers backfield that has looked bad behind Austin Ekeler. The Chargers released RB Larry Rountree in a corresponding move, leaving Michel, Joshua Kelley and Isaiah Spiller behind Ekeler.
Chargers RB Austin Ekeler doesn’t expect his role to change significantly in 2022. “As far as my load, yeah, maybe it could be altered a little bit but I don’t think it’ll go down. I think it’ll just look a little different, if anything.” OC Joe Lombardi is on the same page. “I’m not expecting any kind of dip in usage with him,” the long-time coach said. “But, like any running back, unless you’re 250 pounds, sometimes there’s a pitch count on those guys. (Ekeler) isn’t someone you want to lose halfway through the season because you overused him. Just being smart with how many times he’s getting hit every game is something that you have to keep any eye on.” Ekeler saw a career-high 206 carries in 16 games last season. Perhaps that’s scaled back a bit, but there’s no reason to alter 2022 expectations here.
Speaking on the Move the Sticks Podcast, NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks said he believes rookie RB Isaiah Spiller is a “true #1” type of talent. “I would not be surprised to see him emerge as a star-quality player for the Chargers,” Brooks added. The long-time analyst pointed out Spiller’s size and pass-catching ability. (The 217-pounder caught 74 balls across 3 college seasons.) He’s the clear favorite for #2 duties entering the summer, but note that Austin Ekeler’s under contract for 2 more seasons.
Search
