The Melvin Gordon holdout is nearly over. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Los Angeles Chargers running back plans to return to the team on Thursday after not receiving a new contract. Gordon, of course, missed the first three weeks of the season but now intends to play out his current deal. With Gordon back in the fold, let’s break down how he and Austin Ekeler project for fantasy football moving forward.
Austin Ekeler, Melvin Gordon Fantasy Football Outlook
The Short Term
Gordon will reportedly rejoin the team on Thursday, but it’s hard to imagine him immediately seeing his old workload. Rapoport reports that Gordon won’t play in Sunday’s matchup against the Dolphins, which means you have one more week of Austin Ekeler dominance. Miami is the worst team in the league, and Ekeler has played like a top-five running back against actual competition. He has a shot at being the overall RB1 in Week 4.
Looking ahead to Week 5, the Chargers face off against the 0-3 Denver Broncos. The Broncos have the talent to be a strong defense, but they haven’t played up to the sum of their parts. The unit has yet to record a sack or interception, and opposing offenses have generally moved the ball at will all season long. While there is the possibility they figure it out between now and then, chances are Denver’s going to be a favorable matchup for the Chargers running backs.
Gordon’s going to be ready for that game, but Los Angeles probably won’t give him a full workload right off the bat. Gordon missed a lot of football, and the team is going to try to ease him back into the lineup. The Cowboys used a similar strategy with Ezekiel Elliott, and Gordon missed more time than Elliott. Ekeler and Gordon should split the snaps down the middle, meaning Ekeler has another week of RB1 potential.
Melvin Gordon, Austin Ekeler Long Term View
Of course, eventually, Melvin Gordon will get back into the swing of things and take over the lead running back position. Once this happens, Gordon is going to be a locked-and-loaded RB1 for the remainder of the season. His workload and production make him an auto-start in every format. If we’re using the Ezekiel Elliott timeline as a general guideline, you should expect a full workload by Week 6 or 7.
However, just because Gordon’s the lead back doesn’t mean that Austin Ekeler won’t have value. Last year, Ekeler and Gordon split snaps for 12 games. During those 12 games, Ekeler recorded a respectable 425 rushing yards and two touchdowns to go along with 27 receptions, 328 receiving yards, and three touchdowns. This is obviously a huge drop from what he’s done as a lead back, but he still has some fantasy relevance.
Thanks to his pass-catching prowess, Ekeler only had four games where he failed to record double-digit fantasy points. He’s not an auto-start by any means, but he’s a valuable bench piece you can play in the right matchup. Melvin Gordon is obviously going to be the lead back, but this isn’t going to completely eliminate Ekeler’s fantasy value.
Overall Projection
If you’re a Melvin Gordon owner, you should probably wait a week or two before inserting Gordon into your lineup. He’s going to need some time to get up to game speed, but he’ll be a locked and loaded starter once he’s in game shape.
If you’re an Austin Ekeler owner, you have one or two more weeks of elite RB1 production. Once Gordon comes back, you should still hold on to Ekeler, as he still brings enough to the passing game to stay fantasy-relevant. He’s a good bench player you can start in the right matchups and is one Melvin Gordon injury away from being an elite weapon in fantasy.
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