According to Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley, running back Austin Ekeler is dealing with an ankle injury suffered during the game against the Miami Dolphins. His status for practice was unclear entering the week, and we didn’t get any clarity.
Ekeler was absent from practice on Wednesday, but we do not know if that was related to the injury. Bridget Condon reported that Ekeler is missing practice to attend the funeral of his agent. We should have a better idea of his status when the Chargers practice Thursday.
Update: Ekeler is now also not practicing on Thursday.
Ekeler set the tone early Sunday, bursting through the line of scrimmage and flying for a 55-yard run late in the first quarter. He’d cap off that drive with a one-yard score and later would register a 35-yard reception that would set up another Chargers touchdown in the high-scoring affair.
New offensive coordinator Kellen Moore was brought in to improve the rushing attack, and the offense certainly showed out in Week 1, combining for 234 total rushing yards, including four-plus carries of 10-plus yards and 40 carries in total.
Ekeler himself racked up 164 total yards and a touchdown in the season-opening loss as part of a Chargers offensive attack that was more ground-oriented than expected (40 carries for 234 yards and three scores).
Now, his status for the Chargers’ Week 2 matchup against the Tennessee Titans is in doubt. Here’s the latest on what we know and the fantasy impact to go along with it.
Fantasy Impact for Joshua Kelley and Chargers Offense If Austin Ekeler is Out
Part of that Chargers’ rushing attack was Joshua Kelley’s 16 carries for 91 yards and a touchdown of his own. The former fourth-round pick essentially matched Ekeler in terms of snaps (Ekeler held the 41-38 edge) and figures to be the featured back tethered to this high-powered offense should Ekeler miss time.
The 91 rushing yards Kelley piled up against the Dolphins was easily a career-high, and he would become a priority add on the waiver wire if he has this backfield to himself in Week 2. He saw a lot of work, specifically in the second half, totaling 70 yards in the final 30 minutes, but it wasn’t as if the Chargers were trying to bleed out the clock as the lead seesawed back and forth.
Kelley already had fantasy value as the obvious backup to the electric Ekeler, but if this kind of workload becomes a trend moving forward, it’s possible both backs could be starting options for fantasy managers, especially because after the Titans matchup, the Chargers get a pair of favorable matchups against the Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders.
It is worth noting that Ekeler has missed just one game over the past two seasons, but Los Angeles has an early bye (Week 5), something the team could use to keep their star healthy as the season progresses.
An absence from Ekeler would also mean a higher target share for wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams (assuming healthy), but they should be locked into fantasy football lineups anyway. Gerald Everett could also see an uptick in targets, putting him on the TE1 radar in all formats, given the potency of this offense as a whole.
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