Joshua Kelley

We figured the Chargers might add a running back to replace Melvin Gordon, and it appears Kelley is that guy, though some are torn on whether it's him or Justin Jackson to get the bigger workload. Knowing they invested a fourth-round pick on Kelley, it seems likely that he'll get the first crack at the job. Realistically, it could be a three-headed backfield between them. This won't be the same offense it was with Philip Rivers and we're likely to lose some overall potential from a fantasy perspective. But for now, we should assume that Kelley is the handcuff to Ekeler, even though they're completely different players.

Joshua Kelley selected No. 112 by Los Angeles Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers have selected running back Joshua Kelley with the No. 112 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Fantasy Impact

The Chargers draft a potential replacement for Melvin Gordon with the 112th overall pick. Kelley is 5’10”, 212 pounds and ran a 4.49 at the combine. He was a workhorse back for Chip Kelly at UCLA, tallying over 1,000 yards the last two seasons. He could possibly run as the “thunder” to Austin Ekeler’s “lightning”, however this pick shouldn’t have too much of an impact on Ekeler’s overall fantasy value, although it could eat into some of Justin Jackson’s workload. Ekeler should still be considered a sure-fire RB1 heading into the season while Kelley is in consideration as a handcuff in re-draft leagues and a RB2/3 in dynasty leagues.