The Washington Commanders are not a fluke — heading into the season’s halfway mark, they rank third in the NFL in points, total yards, and rushing yards per game.
Their offensive surge has made the Commanders’ backfield talent fantasy-relevant every week. With usual starter Brian Robinson Jr. questionable for Week 9 due to a hamstring issue, how valuable will Austin Ekeler become if he gets the starting nod instead?
Ekeler’s resurgence
Once a fantasy football superstar, Ekeler finished as the overall RB2 and RB1 in 2021 and 2022, respectively. However, much of the fantasy community wrote him off following a disappointing 2023 in which he finished as the overall RB26.
Over the offseason, the longtime Charger signed a two-year deal with the Commanders. In his first season with the team, the 29-year-old seems to have taken the outside criticism personally. The man is on a mission to disprove the allegations that he’s washed up.
In seven games with Washington, Ekeler has totaled 39 rushes for 240 yards and one touchdown, along with 19 catches for an additional 207 yards. Not eye-popping stats, but the eighth-year veteran is averaging career bests in multiple efficiency metrics, with 6.2 yards per rush attempt and 9.9 yards per target.
For a better idea of his impact, look at it this way. Overall, Ekeler is putting up 63.8 scrimmage yards a game on limited volume of just 7.25 touches per contest. He averages 7.7 yards per touch, another career-best. While he’s no longer the superstar he used to be, Ekeler is still balling and is a FLEX option with 10.0 fantasy points per game.
Week 9 outlook
If Robinson Jr. misses time this week, Ekeler should receive the lion’s share of backfield work in a favorable matchup. The opposing New York Giants rank 27th in average rushing yards allowed and 31st in points per game. They also give up an average of 16.5 fantasy points to running backs.
The Commanders are a significantly better team than the Giants, so game script should be favorable. While Washington failed to score a touchdown last time these teams met (a 21-18 Commanders win in the season opener), expect the offense to have no such issues scoring in the rematch.
If he’s the starting RB this week, Ekeler is in strong position to return high-end RB2 value in Week 9, with plenty of upside.
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