With the injury to Austin Ekeler, fantasy football managers are left with a potential void on their roster. Let’s check out the extent of the injury and players you can target on your waiver wire this week.
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Injury Outlook
Austin Ekeler not expected to travel with Chargers
According to Daniel Popper of The Athletic, Los Angeles Chargers RB Austin Ekeler is not expected to travel with the team to Nashville, Tenn., for Week 2’s contest.
Fantasy Impact
Ekeler was listed as doubtful after failing to practice this week, and this news means he’s as good as out. Joshua Kelley should be on the radar for fantasy managers going against the Tennessee Titans. He can be considered as an RB2/FLEX option.
Jordan Epp
Waiver Wire Replacements to Target
Analysis: One major difference between the old Joe Lombardi offense and the new Kellen Moore offense for the Chargers is a renewed emphasis on establishing the run game early and often. Even with Austin Ekeler as the starter, Kelley was a physical presence with his 16 attempts. He compiled 91 yards and scored a rushing touchdown in the Week 1 shootout loss to Miami. Although he won’t sniff any real receiving work, expect the UCLA grad to maintain steady volume and benefit from a lot of scoring chances.
Analysis: Johnson was a popular sleeper candidate this offseason and a common waiver wire stash after last week’s performance. However, fantasy players should consider starting the rookie running back in Week 2. The former Longhorn had five rushing attempts for 20 yards against the Packers. More importantly, he had six receptions for 35 receiving yards, scoring 14.5 half-point PPR fantasy points in his NFL debut. While Johnson won’t replace Khalil Herbert as the starting running back this week, his performance in Week 1 will earn him more snaps against the Buccaneers.
Last week, Tampa Bay held Alexander Mattison to only 11 rushing attempts for 34 yards and three receptions for 10 receiving yards. Thankfully, a goal-line receiving touchdown saved the former Boise State star’s Week 1 fantasy performance. While Mattison struggled against the Buccaneers, their run defense isn’t as talented as many believe. Tampa Bay surrendered 95 rushing yards per game to running backs in 2022, near the league average. Johnson should get snaps ahead of D’Onta Foreman this week. Furthermore, the rookie could be the leading Bears rusher on Sunday if Herbert struggles again.
Analysis: The Colts backfield has been a fantasy nightmare for the past few weeks. Jonathan Taylor is on the Physically Unable to Perform list and can’t play until Week 5 at the soonest. Meanwhile, Deon Jackson averaged 1.1 yards per rushing attempt last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Evan Hull was a sleeper candidate but only had two touches before a knee injury landed him on injured reserve. Thankfully, Moss is off the injury report and will play Sunday against the AFC South division rivals.
While he is far from a fantasy superstar, the veteran running back was a solid producer late last season. The former Utah star averaged 17.3 rushing attempts for 83.5 yards and 10.7 half-point PPR fantasy points per game over the final month. Meanwhile, the Texans surrendered 28.8 fantasy points and three rushing touchdowns to the Baltimore Ravens backfield in Week 1. Last year, Houston gave up 28.7 fantasy points per game to running backs, the most in the NFL. Moss is an excellent plug-and-play option off the wavier wire.
Analysis: There are two hot waiver additions in this backfield. Each of them is worthy of a bid, but I prefer the reliability of the veteran Edwards. Every fantasy manager will seek light beyond the gloom of J.K. Dobbins‘ unfortunate injury. Edwards is a bruiser who will excel in short yardage and is a far superior pass blocker to Justice Hill. Melvin Gordon is expected to be elevated from the practice squad, but the Week 1 priority assures us that Edwards is the one to prioritize.
Analysis: Where I expect Gus Edwards to see more action than Hill in this backfield, Hill is a better receiver and fits the new Todd Monken offense better than the veteran plodder. It will be tough to bid high enough on Hill this week, since he scored two touchdowns. I’m hard pressed to spend a lot of FAAB on a player who barely averaged a single yard on his eight carries, but Hill will be an appealing flex play if you are fortunate to acquire him.
Analysis: There was only one thing to cheer about on Sunday for Tank Bigsby managers. He plunged into the end zone for a goal-line touchdown, but he only compiled 13 yards on his seven carries and lost a fumble in his NFL debut. Why add him on waivers? The Jaguars face a long homestand, with three-consecutive games in Duval County. Even better, all three opponents showed vulnerabilities against the run in Week 1. Tank’s role figures to grow, but getting short-yardage work is a great start.
Analysis: Until the Rams’ convincing victory over the Seahawks was in hand, everyone was wondering what happened with supposed starting RB Cam Akers. By the end of the game, Akers had 22 carries for a paltry 29 yards. The second-year back from Notre Dame was still the story, with a pair of rushing touchdowns on 15 attempts. LA’s line did not get very much push up front, but Akers’ managers are rightly freaking out about the early leverage opportunities largely going to Williams. It should also be noted that Williams is a stellar receiver and will be tough to pull off the field.
Analysis: Don’t sleep on this offense after one brutal performance. The Steelers were engulfed and overmatched versus the mighty 49ers, but it is certainly noteworthy that Warren shared an even split of RB snaps with “starter” Najee Harris. The Oklahoma State grad is a better receiver than Harris and has more explosive play capability in the open field. Pittsburgh’s schedule is much easier going forward, and Warren will be a main cog in the Matt Canada offense.
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