Austin Ekeler’s fantasy football value tanked last season — he was inefficient on the ground, he wasn’t as featured through the air, and his scoring dropped off in a significant way. His time with the Los Angeles Chargers seems more likely than not to be up, and while the signs of decline are worrisome, he could return value on his diminished price tag if he lands in a good spot.
Potential Landing Spots for Austin Ekeler
Philadelphia Eagles
With D’Andre Swift set to test free agency, the seventh-highest-scoring offense of 2023 that ran for 2,190 yards will likely be searching for their lead back as they gear up for another strong season (top two in the NFC East in six of the past seven seasons).
With the retirement of Jason Kelce, does the Brotherly Shove disappear? If so, don’t forget that Ekeler entered last year with 25 rushing scores over two seasons. Yes, he struggled last season, and yes, this is his age-29 season, but all five of his scores on the ground came inside the five-yard line in 2023, and he has proven more than capable of finishing off drives.
While this is my favorite landing spot of those I’m putting on the board, that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Last season, Swift’s yards per catch fell off a cliff as a member of the Eagles’ unique offense, and with Ekeler posting the lowest catch rate of his career (68.9%), the versatility should be projected to be anything close to what comes to mind when you hear Ekeler’s name.
For me to rank Ekeler as a strong RB2 that I am comfortable starting every single week, he needs to land on a strong offense that can produce without him, not one that he needs to carry. The Eagles certainly qualify as such, and if Ekeler joins them, I’ll be comfortable investing in what I assume will be a harsh ADP reaction to the tape he put on film last season.
Chicago Bears
The Bears are a better spot for Ekeler from a fantasy standpoint if Justin Fields remains in town, but I think the Bears could be looking in this direction either way. He is a nice accent piece for a versatile QB like Fields, and a veteran back isn’t a bad thing to have in town as a rookie signal caller develops. They should be interested regardless of the direction they elect to go.
Should the Bears sign him, he ascends to the top of their depth chart, though I think the decline in receiving role continues given the confidence that this organization showed in Roschon Johnson as a rookie in third down situations.
As of this moment, signing with the Bears would result in something of a 2023 Devin Singletary projection for me — 65-ish scrimmage yards per game with a score once a month.
That’s a useful piece in fantasy, it’s just not the type of stat line that comes to mind when hearing the name ‘Austin Ekeler.’
Green Bay Packers
In theory, joining an offense that is trending up should be a good thing, especially with a member of that backfield (AJ Dillon) set to hit free agency, but traveling to Lambeau would be something of an insurance move for the Packers and thus an underwhelming fantasy option.
Incumbent Aaron Jones is the same age as Ekeler but without a season of decline on his resume. Jones was held to a career-low 11 games last season and if Green Bay truly thinks of themselves as a contender, their desire to add reliable backfield depth would make sense — it just wouldn’t be overly advantageous for Ekeler.
The scoring environment would be an improvement, and with Jones rushing for just four scores on 355 carries over the past two seasons, Ekeler’s touchdown equity would be interesting, but his touch count would make him a tough sell in terms of a weekly option.
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This isn’t the most likely option on the board, but a team like this can’t be ruled out. The Packers have another year of Jordan Love on his rookie contract, and that naturally creates urgency to win now, the exact type of situation I expect Ekeler to join.
At this point in his career, Ekeler needs a near-perfect landing spot (Philadelphia) to be considered a strong option, with the more likely outcome being that of an average RB2 that is usable but not spectacular. That is where he currently sits in early ADP, and that makes sense given the number of landing spots that project as similarly marginal.