{"id":90719,"date":"2020-06-25T06:42:49","date_gmt":"2020-06-25T10:42:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=90719"},"modified":"2021-03-17T07:13:29","modified_gmt":"2021-03-17T11:13:29","slug":"austin-ekeler-fantasy-football-outlook-2020-profile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2020\/06\/25\/austin-ekeler-fantasy-football-outlook-2020-profile\/","title":{"rendered":"Austin Ekeler Fantasy Football Outlook (2020 Profile)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Los Angeles Chargers<\/a> running back Austin Ekeler<\/a><\/strong> has always looked good in small doses. The former undrafted free agent is one of the most explosive and dangerous running backs when he\u2019s actually on the field, but he\u2019s never been able to earn a full workload with Melvin Gordon<\/a> <\/strong>around. Gordon’s now in Denver, so can Ekeler thrive as the leader of the Los Angeles backfield?<\/p>\n

Fantasy Football Draft Headquarters<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

2020 Fantasy Football Profile: Austin Ekeler<\/h2>\n

2019 Recap<\/h3>\n

Austin Ekeler was one of the biggest steals in all of fantasy last year. With Melvin Gordon holding out, Ekeler entered the season as the starting running back. The former undrafted free agent thrived with the opportunity and played like one of the best running backs in football. Through the first five weeks of the season, Ekeler recorded 227 rushing yards, 39 receptions, 356 receiving yards, and a combined six touchdowns to be the RB2 overall.<\/p>\n

Gordon came back in Week 4 and reclaimed the starting job by Week 6. This obviously affected Ekeler’s overall performance, but he still managed to bring fantasy value. Ekeler averaged 16.3 points per game over the final 11 games of the season, making him the RB10 and, ironically, better than Melvin Gordon. Overall, Ekeler ended his breakout campaign as the RB4, ahead of everybody aside from Christian McCaffrey<\/a>, Aaron Jones<\/a>, <\/strong>and Ezekiel Elliott<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Chargers had no issue giving Ekeler a full workload in Gordon\u2019s absence. Ekeler averaged just under 20 touches per game over the first five games of the season, and it wasn\u2019t all passing work. Had Ekeler maintained his early-season pace, he would\u2019ve ended the year with 189 carries on 726 yards and 10 touchdowns. This is pretty solid production, especially when you consider how dangerous he can be in the passing game.<\/p>\n

2020 Projection<\/h3>\n

As previously mentioned, Austin Ekeler is now the top dog in the Los Angeles Chargers backfield. Even though Ekeler hasn\u2019t handled a full 16-game workload before, there\u2019s every reason to believe he\u2019ll have the opportunity to do it in 2020. Anthony Lynn<\/a><\/strong> is still the head coach, and the Chargers signed Ekeler to a hefty extension in the offseason. Lynn clearly believes Ekeler can be a full-time starter, and Ekeler should see the vast majority of the snaps in the upcoming season.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately for Ekeler, he\u2019ll be dealing with a new quarterback. Philip Rivers<\/a><\/strong> isn\u2019t the player he once was, but he was great for Ekeler\u2019s fantasy value. Rivers had one of the highest checkdown rates in the league, and Ekeler thrived with that high target share.<\/p>\n

This year, Ekeler is going to be catching passes from Tyrod Taylor<\/a><\/strong> and Justin Herbert<\/strong><\/a>. Taylor has some starting experience, and history shows he doesn\u2019t like to target running backs. Taylor played with peak LeSean McCoy<\/a> <\/strong>from 2015 to 2017. Despite being one of the best receiving backs in the league, McCoy averaged just 61 targets per season with Taylor under center. By comparison, Ekeler received 108 targets last year.<\/p>\n

Nobody knows what Justin Herbert will be on the NFL level, but his college tape suggests he won\u2019t check down too often. Herbert has a cannon of an arm and is at his best pushing the ball downfield. He lacks short-area accuracy, which is obviously bad news for Ekeler. No matter who ends up starting, it\u2019s safe to assume Ekeler is going to see a decent reduction in his targets.<\/p>\n

Austin Ekeler Average Draft Position<\/h3>\n

According to Fantasy Football Calculator, Austin Ekeler is currently going off the board with the 17th<\/sup> overall pick. This makes him the 12th<\/sup> running back selected and puts him right in the same range as Kenyan Drake<\/a>, <\/strong>Aaron Jones, and Miles Sanders<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This feels about right for Ekeler. If Rivers was still in town, I\u2019d be parading Ekeler as a top-five running back. Unfortunately, the passing volume just won\u2019t be there. Ekeler is one of the best receiving backs in the league, and he\u2019s still going to get his fair share of looks in the passing game. However, Taylor\u2019s penchant for targeting receivers and tight ends means that Ekeler won\u2019t come close to hitting the 90-100 target mark.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, Austin Ekeler should finish the season with 60-70 targets and roughly 200 carries. This is the ideal workload for a low-end RB1, and he\u2019d be a great selection near the end of the second round.<\/p>\n

Fantasy Football Draft Headquarters<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Main photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>