I said this in my free agency preview on February 29th. Perfect for Austin Ekeler That would be the case if he signed in Washington. That becomes a reality after Ekeler agreed to a two-year, $11.4 million contract on Monday.
Ekeler, who turns 29 in May, will join Brian Robinson Jr. in the Commanders' backfield. Ekeler replaces Antonio Gibson, who agreed to a three-year, $11.3 million contract with New England.
In Washington, Ekeler should be considered the No. 2 fantasy running back, and the earliest he should be drafted is the fifth round in most leagues. He's expected to finish a down season with the Chargers in 2023, but it's hard to expect Ekeler to bounce back now that he's splitting duties with Robinson.
Ekeler has averaged over 20.5 PPR points per game in each of the past two seasons, and hasn't dipped below 15.6 PPR points per game since 2019, but in 2023 he has just 12.1 PPR points in 14 games. Stayed on point. At this point in his career, he's probably best suited working as a third-down back in a passing game where he still has the potential to dominate.
Anthony Lynn had just been hired as Washington's running backs coach and Lin was the head coach of the Chargers (2017-20) when Ekeler started gaining attention, so signing with the Commanders made sense for Ekeler. ing. In 2019, Ekeler had 92 catches, 993 yards, and eight touchdowns on 108 targets and should be a good complement to Robinson.
Questions still remain in Washington, especially who will play quarterback for the Commanders, who own the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft. But new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and Lin should rely heavily on Ekeler.
As for Robinson, I wouldn't be surprised if he leads Washington in carries and rushing yards. He is coming off a productive season in 2023, averaging 12.5 PPR points per game with 178 carries, 733 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 36 catches, 368 yards, and 4 touchdowns on 43 targets. was recorded.
Even with Ekeler on the roster, Robinson could still be a quality flex option, and I would draft Robinson as early as the seventh round in most leagues. Ekeler's value will be diminished in Washington, but Robinson, 24 and in his third year in the NFL, could be the best running back for the Commanders and fantasy managers this year.
Patriots add another running back
In New England, Gibson would be a complementary option to LaMondre Stephenson, and Gibson would be drafted as a late pick in most leagues. In 2023, Gibson had 65 carries for 265 yards and one touchdown and had 48 catches for 389 yards and two touchdowns on 59 targets.
Gibson will likely play on passing downs and be a change-of-pace option for Stephenson. I still like Stephenson as the Patriots' No. 1 running back, and he's worth drafting early in the sixth round in most formats.
Stephenson had a slow season in 2023, averaging 11.3 PPR points per game (compared to 13.8 PPR points per game in 2022), but was starting to look better before suffering an ankle injury in Week 13. Before his injury, Stevenson had scored in five of his last six games with at least 12 PPR.
We'll see who plays quarterback for the Patriots under new coach Jerod Mayo this season, but Stephenson could be a very valuable pick in an improved offense. I believe in Stevenson as a quality fantasy option in 2024.
Charger begins work on replacing Ekeler
Finally, the Chargers added Gus Edwards to replace Ekeler. Edwards signed a two-year, $6.5 million contract on Monday.
Edwards is 29 years old, so expect to find company in Los Angeles, but he knows the Chargers' new offensive coordinator Greg Roman well from their time together in Baltimore. In 2023, Edwards had 198 carries for 810 yards and 13 touchdowns with the Ravens and had 12 catches for 180 yards.
The Chargers want to be a run-heavy team, so Edwards could be a flex option depending on who else goes to Los Angeles. But with Ekeler gone, Edwards has a big opportunity in front of him.
