AustinEkeler

News: 3 days agoEkeler rushed 10 times for 32 yards and caught five of six targets for 32 yards while losing a fumble in Sunday's 20-10 loss to Baltimore.

Spin: Ekeler's fumble didn't kill a late comeback attempt like it did in last week's loss the Packers, as that honor went to quarterback Justin Herbert in Week 12, who fumbled in the fourth quarter with the Chargers trailing by just three points. Ekeler has now lost a fumble in consecutive games while tying his previous high in total fumbles (three) despite appearing in just eight games this year. The dual-threat back has also been held to under 4.0 yards per carry in every game other than last week's loss to Green Bay since returning from a high-ankle sprain suffered back in Week 1. Perhaps Ekeler never fully returned to full strength after rushing back from a serious injury for running backs. Whatever the root cause may be, it is becoming painfully obvious that the fantasy star is not living up to his billing heading into next Sunday's tilt against the Patriots.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Ekeler enters his age-28 campaign as one of the top players in fantasy. The dual-threat back has finished fourth or better at RB in fantasy points three of the past four seasons and his 38 TDs since the start of 2021 are 12 more than any other player. Ekeler caught 107 passes last season (fifth most in the entire NFL) and he's finished no lower than second among RBs in targets, receptions, receiving yards and receiving TDs each of the past two seasons. Ekeler's receiving ability supplies him with an extremely high floor and his heavy usage in a good Chargers offense makes him a strong candidate for the first pick in 2023 fantasy drafts.