Washington’s backfield keeps shrinking. Jacory Croskey-Merritt is on injured reserve with a groin injury, and Jeremy McNichols is out for the season with a foot injury. That leaves Rachaad White and Austin Ekeler at the top of the depth chart heading into Sunday’s home game against the Rams. Ekeler is coming off his busiest game of the season, but that still amounted to eight carries. Find out whether you should start or sit Austin Ekeler in Week 9.
Austin Ekeler Start or Sit Advice for Week 9
The opportunity is growing. McNichols handled five carries in each of his last two games, and those touches now need a new home. With Croskey-Merritt sidelined as well, Washington is down to two established backs, and Ekeler is one of them.
His role has been trending in the right direction. After handling five, four and three touches across his first three appearances, Ekeler took eight carries for 36 yards against Philadelphia in Week 8. He also got one of Washington’s three red zone carries in that game.
The Commanders can run the ball. Washington averages 126.6 rushing yards per game and 4.64 yards per carry, both above the league averages of 112.8 and 4.20, so the backs in this offense have room to work when they get the ball.
The Rams’ defensive front is also thinner than usual. Defensive tackle Kobie Turner is on injured reserve with a groin strain, and Poona Ford is out for the season with a triceps injury.
The Biggest Fantasy Risk for Austin Ekeler in Week 9
White is the lead back, and the gap is significant. White had 13 touches and a touchdown in Week 8, holds 24.6% of Washington’s carries to Ekeler’s 8.4% and has drawn 18 targets to Ekeler’s five. White also took two of the team’s three red zone carries against the Eagles. Washington claimed Robert Henry off waivers this week, too, so Ekeler is not guaranteed all of McNichols’ work.
The receiving role that could raise his floor is not there. Ekeler did not draw a target in Week 8, and he has just four catches for 30 yards all season. That is a missed opportunity against a Rams defense that allows 43.2 receiving yards per game to backs, above the league average of 32.4, but White is the back Washington uses in that role.
The Rams are also tough to run on. They allow 3.61 yards per carry to running backs against a league average of 4.16 and just 81.1 rushing yards per game to the position against a league mark of 93.5. They have given up only two rushing touchdowns to backs all season. Los Angeles has faced Denver, San Francisco, the Giants, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Arizona, Las Vegas and the Chargers, a group running 3% below league average against them, so those numbers are an honest read. Myles Garrett is also on track to be activated from injured reserve ahead of Sunday, which would strengthen the front further.
Washington’s offense has been stuck in neutral, too. The Commanders convert just 31.9% of their third downs against a league average of 39.7% and score on 52.6% of their red zone trips, and they scored just 10 points against Philadelphia last week.
Fantasy Outlook for Austin Ekeler in Week 9
Sit Ekeler in Week 9. His workload should tick up with McNichols gone, but he is still the No. 2 back behind White, he has no receiving role to lean on and the Rams have been stingy against the run, especially at keeping backs out of the end zone.
He is worth holding in deeper leagues while Washington’s backfield sorts itself out. If his carries keep climbing, he could become a FLEX option down the line. For now, fantasy managers covering Steelers and Titans players on bye should look elsewhere.