Austin Ekeler Fantasy Football Outlook (2022)

By Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros), Thu, Sep 1st 2022, 10:27am EDT

Austin Ekeler isn't used as a true three-down workhorse, but it's hard to tell based on the actual amount of touches he sees in the Los Angeles Chargers offense. At 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds, Ekeler finished 8th in the NFL in total touches (276) and 14th in touches per game (17.2).

But the raw touches hardly showcase the fantasy value Ekeler possesses, because he often commands an extremely high-share of high-value targets ie. targets and red-zone opportunities.

His 13.9% target share and 70 receptions ranked second behind only Najee Harris. Ekeler's 18 red-zone touchdowns and 63 red-zone touches ranked first and second respectively.

With such a secure role as a receiver out of the backfield and as a featured red-zone weapon in a high-powered offense, it's hard to imagine a healthy Ekeler not returning at least top-5 fantasy status in 2022. He wrapped a bow on the 2021 season as the RB3 in points per game and RB2 overall in half-point scoring.