Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler’s fantasy football outlook in 2024 will be much different than the seasons we’re used to seeing from the productive pass-catching back as he enters 2024 with a new team.
While he may not be fighting for RB1 like in years past, he still has some top-rated fantasy team name ideas, such as “Austin 3:16,” that you could use.
Below, I’ll take a look at Ekeler’s 2024 fantasy value and determine if you should draft him.
Austin Ekeler’s Fantasy Profile for the 2024 NFL Season
The ZeroRB fantasy football strategy has been a long-standing popular one to utilize, and with Ekeler going as RB30 in PPR leagues and No. 85 overall, he fits the initial concept of taking one later. But does Ekeler have an avenue to success?
According to TruMedia, Ekeler struggled as a runner. He had 179 carries for 628 yards (3.5 yards per carry) and five touchdowns. Ekeler didn’t average above 3.7 yards per carry on any down.
As a receiver, Ekeler still had some production. He ran 347 routes, saw 74 targets, caught 51 passes, and had 436 yards and one touchdown. He also missed three games.
Now, Ekeler joins the Commanders, who have an incoming rookie quarterback from the No. 2 overall spot, Jayden Daniels.
Some may argue that what played a part in Ekeler’s production dipping was Justin Herbert getting hurt in Week 14 and Easton Stick taking over. The truth is, the production wasn’t there with or without Herbert. In fact, as a receiver, Ekeler caught seven passes in Week 18, which tied his season-high.
Going over to Washington, Ekeler will have Brian Robinson Jr. ahead of him. Fortunately, though, Robinson Jr. doesn’t catch passes, so this could very well turn into a situation where Robinson gets the carries, and Ekeler is mostly used as an outlet option for Daniels.
In 2023, 52.2% of Ekeler’s targets were behind the line of scrimmage. In his Heisman-winning final season at LSU, only 13.3% of Daniels’ attempts were behind the line of scrimmage. However, he completed all 44 attempts for 308 yards and two touchdowns in that category.
The Commanders have talented receivers like Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, and the reliable Zach Ertz. Ekeler will be able to rake in passes, but it remains to be seen how many that’ll be.
The team has a Week 14 bye week.
Is Ekeler a Good Fantasy Pick?
As an RB3/4 in PPR leagues, I can get behind taking Ekeler, but nothing more than that.
With Robinson in the fold, he’ll get minimal rushing opportunities. Additionally, Ekeler is going from playing with Justin Herbert the last few years to a rookie quarterback who didn’t utilize passes behind the line of scrimmage at LSU.
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Sure, being a rookie, Daniels could rely on just some easy dump-off passes, and that’s where Ekeler will shine.
Ekeler will serve as an OK filler option to get you eight points or more in PPR formats, but I wouldn’t rely on him as a starter given this circumstance, despite his RB25 finish in PPR leagues last season.
