The Los Angeles Chargers lost a close fought battle against the Dolphins in Week 1, but their rushing offense was extremely efficient, as Austin Ekeler and Josh Kelley combined for 208 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown a piece on 32 carries. Those carries were split evenly between the two backs. We saw a lot of Kelley toward the end of the game and that might have been due to an Ekeler ankle injury.
This news only just came out, as head coach Brandon Staley let reporters know:
Austin Ekeler has an ankle injury, according to Brandon Staley. His status for Wednesday’s practice is “to be determined,” Staley said.
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) September 11, 2023
Austin Ekeler’s backup
As you probably know already, Ekeler’s backup is Josh Kelley. He ended up rushing 16 times for 91 yards and a touchdown. He was the only other running back to get a carry in the game and appears locked in to the RB2 role.
The severity of Ekeler’s injury is truly unknown at this time, so it would be prudent to grab Kelley off waivers if you have a chance. Even if Ekeler is healthy enough to take on the Titans in Week 2, Kelley proved he has the upside to be a fantasy start under the right conditions.