Player Spotlight: Austin Ekeler

Special thanks to guest writer Jordan Barkin for this article!

Austin Ekeler is extremely underrated as one of the leagues premier receiving RBs

This article will explain why I believe Austin Ekeler is one of the most underrated RBs in fantasy. Last year, Ekeler finished the year as the RB6 in Half PPR, even while sharing the backfield with the workhorse Melvin Gordon for most of the year. He was an option that not many people looked at, but ended up performing very well, and I believe he is set up this year to have a repeat performance, if not even better.

Melvin Gordon held out until week 4 last year, and in the three weeks that Ekeler played without Gordon, he was excellent. In Half PPR scoring, he averaged 20.2 PPG, and if that was stretched to the whole season, it would have made him the RB2 behind only Christian McCaffrey. Even with Gordon taking most of the carries in the backfield, Ekeler ended the season finishing as the RB6 and averaging 16.4 PPG. There are no indications that Ekeler cannot have a repeat season based off of what we saw last year, especially when looking at the changes that were made to the offense.

Last season, Philip Rivers was nothing short of bad, yet Ekeler still made it work in the passing game. He is an easy target for QBs and will always rack up numerous dump offs and screens in the offense he’s in. The Chargers’ line is improved this year, which should help Ekeler in the run game more as he is bound to take the role as the number one rushing and receiving back in LA with Melvin Gordon moving on to Denver. He should receive anywhere from 20-25 touches per game, and with a player as efficient as Ekeler, that’s perfect for fantasy. Furthermore, his QB this year will be anything but a gunslinger, whether it is Tyrod Taylor or rookie Justin Herbert. It is likely to be Taylor, and Ekeler will be an easy option for him to throw to. I expect him to get just as much volume in the passing game if not more, as he makes it much easier on Taylor.

Even though Ekeler is one of the most efficient RBs in the NFL, he isn’t being drafted as high as I think he should be. He is usually drafted as a mid to late second rounder, with nearly a dozen RBs being drafted before him. I think he has a fairly good chance at being a top 5 RB this year. Perhaps he’s not liked because he isn’t the best between the tackles runner, and he isn’t the most popular name. Or maybe it’s because no one knows how he will do with a full year of being the unquestioned RB1 in LA. But I think it’s evident he can more than succeed in that role and even thrive. Drafting him anywhere in the second round is a steal in my opinion, as he is being quite undervalued. Especially in full PPR leagues, Ekeler will be a great option.