Fantasy Football Player Notes

In eight full games with Justin Herbert under center last year, Ekeler saw 63 targets. Over a full 16-game season, that amounts to 126 targets. While I don't expect him to get there, he's one of just two running backs (Christian McCaffrey is the other) who I'm projecting for 100-plus targets in 2021. Targets are worth twice as much as carries, so even if Ekeler winds up getting just 12 carries per game, it's not the end of the world. In fact, he can still finish as a borderline RB1 if he were to hit just 200 carries on the season. The new coaching staff obviously brings on some potential volatility, but there's not much other talent on the roster at running back, so his role should be very safe.

He had his chance and likely blew it. Kelley acted as the early-down back for the Chargers last year, but wound up averaging more than 4.0 yards per carry just four times all season, including seven games averaging 3.1 or less yards per carry. Neither Justin Jackson nor Austin Ekeler had issues running behind the line, as both of them tallied 4.6 yards per carry. The Chargers also have a new coaching staff and drafted Larry Rountree in the 2021 draft, which could make Kelley expendable, or pushed down the depth chart.