Brian Robinson Jr. (knee) is "trending in the right way," according to coach Dan Quinn, but this is a situation to monitor heading into Sunday against Cleveland. If Robinson is out then Austin Ekeler becomes a No. 2 running back in all leagues, and Jeremy McNichols would be at least a flex. Ekeler didn't play in Week 4 at Arizona with a concussion, but he scored at least 10.2 PPR points in each of his first three games. And with Ekeler out against the Cardinals, McNichols had eight carries for 68 yards and two touchdowns, along with one catch for 6 yards on one target. McNichols won't have much Fantasy value if Robinson plays, but Ekeler would still be at least a flex option in that scenario. If Robinson is out, then the value for Ekeler and McNichols improves tremendously in all formats. The Browns run defense is tough, but three running backs have scored at least 12.9 PPR points against them this season.
Ekeler cleared concussion protocol and will play against the Browns on Sunday, Zach Selby of the Commanders' official site reports.
Meanwhile, backfield mate Brian Robinson (knee) is said to be "trending in the right direction" but could be headed for a game-time decision. A Robinson absence would set up Ekeler for his largest workload of the season, with Jeremy McNichols potentially also having a significant role again after filling in for Ekeler during last week's win at Arizona.
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Commanders' Austin Ekeler: Gets back to full practice Thursday
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Ekeler (concussion) practiced in full Thursday.
Ekeler returned to drills this week for the first time since he sustained a concussion Week 3, and he increased his activity level from limited Wednesday to all activity Thursday. Per John Keim of ESPN.com, Ekeler even was spotted without a yellow non-contact jersey Thursday, signaling that he's been cleared for contact. Still, Ekeler must gain clearance from an independent neurologist in order to suit up Sunday in Seattle. Because Brian Robinson (knee) hasn't practiced this week, there's a chance Ekeler will take on a significant role this weekend, assuming he's active and the former is inhibited or sits out.
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Commanders' Austin Ekeler: Limited in return to practice
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Ekeler (concussion) practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday.
Ekeler left midway through the Commanders' Week 3 win at Cincinnati due to a concussion, and he was unable to practice at all last week before he missed this past Sunday's contest at Arizona. Head coach Dan Quinn told John Keim of ESPN.com earlier Wednesday that the "arrows are pointing up" for Ekeler, and his return to practice, even in a capped fashion, has set him on a path to suiting up again. In the end, though, Ekeler must gain clearance from an independent neurologist in order to be able to play Sunday against the Browns.
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Commanders' Austin Ekeler: Tracking toward playing
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Ekeler (concussion) expects to play Week 5 versus the Browns, Grant Paulsen of The Athletic reports.
Ekeler was unavailable for the team's Week 4 win over the Cardinals due to a concussion, and the running back is still working his way through league protocols. Ekeler said Tuesday that he is "feeling more like himself," and his status on the team's injury report throughout the week will be worth monitoring.
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Commanders' Austin Ekeler: Week 5 Waiver Priority List
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Austin Ekeler (concussion) was out in Week 4 at Arizona, and McNichols became the No. 2 running back for the Commanders behind Brian Robinson Jr. in that contest. McNichols ended up with eight carries for 68 yards and two touchdowns and caught one pass for 6 yards. If Ekeler is out again in Week 5 at Cleveland, then McNichols can be a flex option in deeper leagues, and he's worth adding for 1 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Commanders' Austin Ekeler: Out Week 4 with concussion
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Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said Wednesday that Ekeler (concussion) won't be available for Sunday's game at Arizona, JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington reports.
Ekeler was removed from Monday's win at Cincinnati due to a concussion, and Quinn revealed Tuesday that the running back also was dealing with a laceration to his ear, per Zach Selby of the Commanders' official site. With his lack of availability already confirmed for Week 4, Ekeler's next chance to suit up will come Oct. 6 against the Browns. In Ekeler's absence, Brian Robinson likely stands to handle a greater share of Washington's backfield, while Jeremy McNichols and practice-squad members Chris Rodriguez and Michael Wiley will be candidates to fill in behind Robinson.
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Commanders' Austin Ekeler: Out with concussion
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Ekeler will not return to Monday's matchup with the Bengals after sustaining a concussion, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports.
Ekeler took a handoff in the red zone during the third quarter of Monday's contest and subsequently exited the game. He had tallied 57 total yards and one touchdown prior to sustaining the injury. He will need to clear the league's concussion protocol at some point during the week in order to avoid a Week 4 absence in Arizona.
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Commanders' Austin Ekeler: Racks up yards in Sunday's win
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Ekeler carried the ball eight times for 38 yards and caught all three of his targets for 47 yards in Sunday's 21-18 win over the Giants.
The former Charger had more receiving yards than rushing yards for the second straight game, as he continues to be an effective complement to early down back Brian Robinson -- who pounded out 133 rushing yards on 17 carries Sunday -- in the Washington backfield. Ekeler will look to get into the end zone for the first time with his new team in a Week 3 tilt against the Bengals.
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Commanders' Austin Ekeler: Makes Washington debut Saturday
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Ekeler rushed twice for seven yards and didn't catch his only target in Saturday's 20-17 preseason loss to the Jets.
Ekeler and Brian Robinson got two carries apiece inside the Jets' 10-yard line on the opening drive, but it was quarterback Jayden Daniels who ultimately capped that possession with a three-yard rushing touchdown. Ekeler scored 30 rushing touchdowns over the last three regular seasons as the Chargers' unquestioned top rushing option by the goal line, but he'll have to compete for those valuable looks against Robinson and Daniels in Washington. Both Ekeler and Robinson should continue to mix in with the first-team offense in next Saturday's preseason matchup with the Dolphins.
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Commanders' Austin Ekeler: Listed as co-starter
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Ekeler and Brian Robinson both are listed as starters on Washington's initial preseason depth chart.
The Commanders list 12 starters on offense, with three wideouts, two running backs and a tight end. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury suggested Tuesday that Ekeler and Robinson both will have significant roles, referring to the duo as a "1-2 punch" and noting that he doesn't think Ekeler's down season in 2023 was due to physical decline.
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Chargers' Austin Ekeler: Not getting tag
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The Chargers don't plan to give Ekeler a franchise tag, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Ekeler was never a serious candidate for the tag, given the Chargers' hesitance to hand him big contracts in the past and his downturn in production during the 2023 season. He'll hope to convince other teams that his high-ankle sprain was a big part of the problem in 2023, along with general dysfunction in Los Angeles that made it difficult to find running lanes and gain yards. Ekeler seems like a questionable fit under new Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman -- best known for powerful running games -- but a return to Los Angeles can't entirely be ruled out at this juncture. If he does end up signing elsewhere, it's hard to say whether Ekeler will be deployed as a lead back or as more of a passing-down guy in a timeshare.
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Chargers' Austin Ekeler: Disappointing close to season
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Ekeler rushed the ball 10 times for 11 yards in Sunday's 13-12 loss to the Chiefs. He added seven receptions on eight targets for 38 yards.
The Chargers ran 80 offensive plays in the loss, with Easton Stick taking to the air 47 times. As a result, Ekeler saw limited opportunity on the ground and was held to under 15 rushing yards for the second time in his last four games. He did manage to salvage his day as a receiver by matching his highest reception total of the season. It was a fitting close to a disappointing season for the Chargers overall as well as Ekeler individually, though he did still manage 1,064 yards from scrimmage with six total scores. He'll enter free agency this offseason, leaving his potential role and team in 2024 unclear.
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Chargers' Austin Ekeler: Totals 50 yards in loss
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Ekeler rushed 13 times for 46 yards and caught his only target for four yards in Sunday's 16-9 loss to the Broncos.
Ekeler was featured on offense for a Chargers team that was without its quarterback and top three wideouts Sunday. The remaining star on offense finished with a team-high 14 touches, but he was stymied by a stout Broncos defense and held to 50 total yards and no scores. In positive news, Ekeler's efforts helped him reach 1,000 yards from scrimmage in 13 semi-healthy games this season. The Chargers will still be lacking several key pieces in Week 18, so expect Ekeler to continue to be featured on offense in the team's regular-season finale against the Chiefs.
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Chargers' Austin Ekeler: RBs to Start
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Ekeler was better than expected in Week 16 against Buffalo with 15 carries for 65 yards and three catches for 21 yards on four targets. His 11.6 PPR points were his second-best total in his past six games. His best total over that span was Week 14 against Denver when he scored 21 PPR points, and he loves beating up on the Broncos. Ekeler, who went to high school (Eaton) and college (Western Colorado) in Colorado, has scored at least 15.8 PPR points in seven of his past eight games against Denver. And the Broncos are No. 2 in most Fantasy points allowed to running backs this year.
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Chargers' Austin Ekeler: Lead role resumes under new HC
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Ekeler rushed 15 times for 63 yards and caught three of four targets for 21 yards in Saturday's 24-22 loss to the Bills.
Ekeler saw his role reduced to single-digit touches in last week's loss to the Raiders, but his role was quickly restored by interim head coach Giff Smith on Saturday after Brandon Staley was let go last week. Ekeler responded with one of his better performances in what has been a down year affected by injury. The 28-year-old finished with a per-carry average above 4.0 yards for just the third time in 11 attempts since returning from a high-ankle sprain back in Week 6. Two of the three have come over the star tailback's last three contests, which could be the product of his ankle returning to full health in recent weeks. Ekeler's improved play coupled with a high touch count make him a plus fantasy play next Sunday against Denver.
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Chargers' Austin Ekeler: RBs to Sit
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It's hard to bench Ekeler in the majority of leagues, but we saw the downside of this offense in Week 15 at Las Vegas in a 63-21 loss with Justin Herbert (finger) out, which could get worse in this matchup with Buffalo in Week 16. Keep in mind that Ekeler was awful in four of his past five games, with his one positive outing against the bad Broncos run defense in Week 14. Otherwise, he scored 9.4 PPR points or less in his other four games, including 7.8 PPR points against the Raiders. Buffalo just held Tony Pollard to 7.7 PPR points in Week 15, and the Bills should be able to contain Ekeler in this matchup.
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Chargers' Austin Ekeler: 100-plus total yards and touchdown
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Ekeler registered 19 carries for 67 yards and a touchdown along with four receptions (on seven targets) for 48 yards in the 41-38 loss to the Lions on Sunday.
The Lions' vaunted run defense certainly performed as advertised, as Ekeler averaged just 3.5 yards per carry over the afternoon. The electric scat back did get his customary red-zone work, which resulted in a short touchdown; however, the 28-year-old was otherwise bottled in terms of explosive plays. The seven-year pro now has six consecutive games with at least 14 carries and owns a near monopoly on the Chargers' goal-line touches, which means even with a sub 4.0-yard-per-carry average, he remains a weekly fantasy lock for the time being.
Ekeler carried the ball 14 times for 47 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught two of his seven targets for 23 yards in the 27-6 win over the Jets on Monday.
Ekeler punched in both touchdowns from a couple of yards out, but he uncharacteristically had a number of drops, specifically in the first half, that could have produced far more yardage. The Chargers offense hardly had to put much effort in this one as Zach Wilson and the Jets could barely cross the 50-yard line. Expect the mundane offensive figures to look a bit different Week 10 against a much better team overall in the Lions.
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Chargers' Austin Ekeler: Big receiving game ends slump
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Ekeler (ankle) carried the ball 15 times for 29 yards and caught seven of eight targets for 94 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 30-13 win over Chicago. He also coughed up a fumble, his first of the season.
Ekeler continues to struggle as a rusher since returning from injury in Week 6, but he finally broke out for fantasy managers with his contributions as a receiver. The 28-year-old displayed his usual burst on a handful of his 22 combined touches Sunday, something that was lacking when he initially returned from injury. With an extra day of rest scheduled ahead of next Monday's tilt the Jets, we could see the healthiest version of Ekeler since Week 1, when he combined for 164 yards and a touchdown against Miami.
