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Veteran free-agent running back Austin Ekeler is signing with the Washington Commanders on Monday on a two-year deal worth up to $11.43 million, according to sources. Ekeler is headed to the East coast after seven seasons and 69 total touchdowns with the Los Angeles Chargers. The 28-year-old was extremely productive in his time with the Bolts, but he's coming off one of his worst statistical seasons in 2023 and is now heading to a Commanders backfield where he'll be expected to split the workload with Brian Robinson. On a side note, former Commanders RB Antonio Gibson agreed to join the New England Patriots. Gone are the days of Ekeler being a no-doubt RB1 for fantasy managers, although he still has the talent to be a highly productive RB3/flex option, especially in PPR leagues. In addition, the Commanders' signing of Ekeler is going to be bad news for B-Rob's fantasy ceiling.
Mar 11, 2024 7:05 PM EST
The Washington Commanders and Las Vegas Raiders have made preliminary inquiries on free-agent running back Austin Ekeler, according to a source. CBS Sports' Josina Anderson writes that Ekeler's situation remains fluid at this time, but he could choose his next landing spot relatively quickly after Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard have all agreed with new teams on Monday. The Commanders lost Antonio Gibson and the Raiders lost Jacobs, so they have obvious needs in their backfield right now. The 28-year-old Ekeler is coming off one of the worst years of his career in 2023, with 628 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground after scoring a career-high 13 TDs in 2022. A change of scenery could easily lead to a bounce-back campaign, but fantasy managers probably aren't going to treat him as the high-end RB1 like they did in 2023 drafts.
Mar 11, 2024 5:43 PM EST
The Los Angeles Chargers are expected to let impending free-agent running back Austin Ekeler explore free agency in 2024, according to league sources, which means they won't use the franchise tag on him. Ekeler was one of the biggest early round fantasy busts in 2023, as the 28-year-old finished with 628 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 179 carries in 14 games in his seventh year with the Chargers. He also had 51 receptions (74 targets) for 436 yards and one touchdown through the air. Ekeler has never had 1,000 yards rushing in his career and could face an uncertain future if he leaves LA. He's not going to be a first-round fantasy pick in fall drafts, but Ekeler has bounce-back potential if he's healthy and in a significant role, whether it be with the Chargers or another team.
Feb 26, 2024 7:02 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler was terrible again in a Week 18 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Ekeler likely ends his Chargers career with an awful performance against mostly Chiefs backups. He ran the ball 10 times, gaining 11 yards total on the ground. He was targeted eight times in the passing game, making seven catches for 38 yards through the air. This wraps up Ekeler's worst season by far and likely his last as a Charger. His days as a three-down back are clearly done, but his track record is good enough that someone will certainly take a chance on him as a third down or change of pace back for next season. He'll be much further down draft boards than he was before this season regardless of his landing spot, and any dynasty league managers rostering him should try to get whatever they can for him now.
Jan 8, 2024 12:09 AM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler will look to stop his slide and end the season on a high note in a Week 18 game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Ekeler has had a very bad season, scoring just one touchdown in his past seven games and "earning" Pro Football Focus' worst grade among all NFL running backs since Week 6. In what is likely Ekeler's last game as a Charger and almost certainly his last game as a three-down back, he's an RB3.
Jan 4, 2024 6:14 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler continued his disappointing 2023 season with another nothing of a game in a Week 17 loss to the Denver Broncos. Ekeler ran the ball 13 times, gaining 46 scoreless yards and losing a fumble. He had a long gain of just six yards and only caught one pass for four yards through the air. It's been the worst season of Ekeler's career, and he'll be a free agent after a season-ending Week 18 game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Ekeler's days of being a starting running back are likely running out.
Dec 31, 2023 7:47 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler is tough to trust in fantasy lineups in a Week 17 game against the Denver Broncos. Ekeler was fairly efficient last week, but it only translated to 65 yards on the ground and 21 more through the air. He's only scored one touchdown in his last six games, and with the Chargers offense generally in shambles, it might be time to leave Ekeler on the bench to wrap up his most disappointing season to date.
Dec 28, 2023 6:00 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler had another fairly pedestrian game in a Week 16 contest against the Buffalo Bills. Ekeler ran the ball 15 times, gaining 65 yards. He also saw four passing game targets, catching three of them for 21 yards. Ekeler found some room to run against a tough Bills defense, but he couldn't find the end zone or rip off any huge gains. His biggest gain on the ground was 10 yards and his longest catch was 14. He and the Chargers will get the Broncos next week on New Year's Eve.
Dec 24, 2023 12:03 AM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler is a risky fantasy option in Week 16 lineups. The flailing Chargers will face the Buffalo Bills, who need a win to keep up in the AFC playoff race. Last week, Ekeler only played 40% of the team's offensive snaps, turning nine touches into 38 total yards. With a new coaching staff leading the team this week, Ekeler could get back to his lead back role, but with Easton Stick under center, they're unlikely to move the ball much against a strong Bills defense. Ekeler has RB2 upside, but a lower floor than most other ranked around him.
Dec 21, 2023 4:08 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler did next to nothing in a 63-21 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. Ekeler ran the ball just five times, gaining nine yards total. He was targeted six times, making four catches for 29 yards. The highlight of the night for Ekeler was a first down gain, where he celebrated while the scoreboard said 63-7. It was a rough night for everyone in a Chargers uniform, and with the way things are going, Ekeler is unlikely to be more than an RB3 for the rest of the season.
Dec 15, 2023 12:31 AM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler has a good matchup in a Week 15 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Ekeler figures to be the focus of whatever offense the Chargers can put together with Easton Stick starting at quarterback in place of the injured Justin Herbert (finger). Ekeler scored a touchdown and combined for 100 total yards in the Week 14 loss, and now gets a Raiders defense ranked 27th against opposing running backs. His upside is limited by what will likely be an offense that struggles to do much, but the matchup is still good enough to make Ekeler a high-end RB2.
Dec 13, 2023 11:21 AM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler scored a touchdown in a Week 14 loss to the Denver Broncos. Ekeler ran the ball 10 times, gaining 51 yards and scoring a touchdown on a three-yard run in the fourth quarter. He added five catches on seven targets, gaining an additional 49 yards. It was an effective game for the Chargers running back despite the team struggling mightily in almost every aspect. With Justin Herbert (finger) unlikely to play next week, Ekeler will certainly lose a good bit of his fantasy value, possibly dropping into higher RB3 ranks for Thursday night.
Dec 11, 2023 12:26 AM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler will draw the start in Week 14 versus the Denver Broncos, according to NFL Network. However, he will split touches with Joshua Kelley and Isaiah Spiller, and the team will ride the hot hand at running back. It's an intriguing storyline to follow given that Ekeler has massively underperformed in recent weeks. However, Kelly hasn't been flashy, either, and Spiller hasn't been active since Week 8 (but has been confirmed as active for this Sunday, per Rapoport). For the time being, Ekeler remains the only player in this backfield worth starting in fantasy football.
Dec 10, 2023 10:36 AM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler has a good matchup in a Week 14 home game against the Denver Broncos. Ekeler has yet to really look like himself this season outside of a nice three-game stretch from Weeks 8 through 10, but a matchup against Denver's defense might be just what Ekeler needed. The Broncos defense does a decent job in the passing game, but their run defense has allowed running backs to thrive on the ground. In the past three weeks combined, Ekeler has put up just 17 fantasy points total; there's a decent chance he eclipses that in just one game this Sunday. Start him as a borderline RB1/2 with upside.
Dec 7, 2023 3:59 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler was completely bottled up by the New England Patriots defense in a Week 13 win. Ekeler ran the ball 14 times, gaining a total of 18 yards with a long run of just four yards. He added two catches on three targets, gaining an additional nine yards. That's 16 touches and just 27 yards. Ekeler has struggled this year outside of a nice three-game run in the middle of the season. He should find a little more room to run against the Denver defense in Week 14, but Ekeler has slipped from the fantasy RB1 ranks this season.
Dec 3, 2023 7:19 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler will look to put an end to his recent struggles in a Week 13 game against the New England Patriots. Ekeler has put up just 13 fantasy points in his last two games combined, finishing as the fantasy RB32 and 36 in those two weeks. Before that, he'd put up 20 points for three weeks in a row and finished as a top-six option at his position. The Patriots defense has been strong against opposing running backs, but Ekeler should still be able to find some room to run, and his involvement in the passing game always helps to boost his fantasy stats. He's a high-end RB2 with clear upside this week.
Nov 30, 2023 1:29 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler didn't do much in a Week 12 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. He ran the ball 10 times, gaining 32 yards with a long play of just six yards. He added five catches on six targets, gaining another 32 yards through the air. The Chargers offense as a whole struggled against an outstanding Ravens defense, but it was still disappointing to see Ekeler be unable to get anything going. He also lost a critical fumble in a game where the Chargers, who had been excellent at protecting the ball, turned it over four times. Next week against the Patriots should be a better offensive game for the Bolts.
Nov 27, 2023 12:41 AM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler will look to rebound from a rough Week 11 game in a Week 12 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. Ekeler had 20 fantasy points for three games in a row in Weeks 8 through 10, but came up with just six in Week 11. A better matchup awaits this time around, as the Ravens defense has been excellent against wide receivers but nothing special against opposing running backs. Ekeler comes in as a solid RB1 option despite coming off his second-worst game of the season.
Nov 23, 2023 12:12 AM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler was quiet in Week 11's 23-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers, closing with 10 rushing attempts for 64 yards and two receptions for six yards with a lost fumble. The story of Ekeler's day was highlighted by a 37-yard gain during the first quarter where he could have streaked to the end zone, but it seemed as though he was running with a piano on his back. It's fair to speculate if the 28-year-old is at all hampered by the ankle injury that cost him Weeks 2-4, as he's now run for just 3.2 yards per carry over 86 attempts since Week 6. Receiving ability has always been Ekeler's calling card, anyway, so his role in an up-tempo offense should quell any fear of him possibly losing a step. He'll be an RB1 in PPR leagues for a possible shootout with the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football in Week 12.
Nov 20, 2023 1:10 AM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler has an excellent matchup in a Week 11 game against the Green Bay Packers. Ekeler has put up three weeks in a row of exactly 20 fantasy points and has been the overall RB6, RB4, and then RB4 again in those games. He has another elite matchup in Week 11, facing a Packers defense that has been just 25th against opposing running backs. The Chargers offense was humming in Week 10 despite the loss and should be able to come out hot in Week 11 as well. Ekeler is a top-tier RB1 option in all formats.
Nov 16, 2023 11:38 AM EST
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