Why Austin Ekeler Is NOT a Top-20 NFL Running Back
- Anthony Bryant
- Nov 15, 2023
- 3 min read
When you go to a burger restaurant, but get handed a slice of pizza, it may leave a sour taste in your mouth. Similarly, when you want a great running back, and get a below-average receiver, you may end up disappointed. That slice of pizza and below-average receiver is current Chargers “star” running back, Austin Ekeler. Welcome to the Los Angeles Chargers, where fantasy points matter infinitely more than wins and efficiency.
To preface the remainder of the article, Austin Ekeler seems like a fantastic person & teammate. In fact, he started the Austin Ekeler Foundation to help those in need in various ways. It is a prime example of the positive impact that NFL players can have on the world, and we at Uncorked Sports Media admire him greatly for doing so. If you are interested in finding out more, please visit austinekeler.com.
With this in mind, let’s dive into why we believe Austin Ekeler is a fringe XFL running back. For starters, let’s look at his frame. Ekeler is somewhere between Alvin Kamara & Rod Wave when it comes to overall athleticism. Measuring up at 5’8”, 200 pounds with a 4.48 40-yard dash, it is hard to compare him to any other running back. He lacks the height and power to be a true power-back, yet lacks the explosiveness and agility to operate as a speed-back.
Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
The truth about Austin Ekeler is that he has never had a season with 1000 rushing yards. To put that into perspective, Tyler Allgeier had over 1000 yards rushing in 2022. Antonio Gibson had over 1000 yards rushing in 2021. Ronald Jones had a better rushing season in 2020 than Austin Ekeler has ever had in his entire career, and the list goes on. So why do countless people put Ekeler in the conversation with Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley, and others? The reason is that he is a Fantasy PPR champion. Do you want a 4-yard checkdown on 3rd and 15? Maybe even a touchdown or two in the final 5 minutes of a blowout loss? If so, Ekeler is your guy.
Ekeler is averaging a whopping 3.6 yards per carry in 2023 with an offensive line ranked 9th best by Pro Football Focus. This is an abysmal performance which is going completely unnoticed due to his fantasy dominance. Some running backs to note that are averaging more yards per carry this season: Chubba Hubbard, D’Onta Foreman, Jerome Ford, Devin Singletary, AJ Dillon, Ezekiel Elliot, Najee Harris, Joshua Kelley (his backup), and many more. Do any of these names sound like elite running backs to you? Of course not, because the NFL community has decided to throw their names around as trash, while idolizing Ekeler as a top 3 running back.
Let’s take a look at Ekeler's best season, 2022, where he obtained his career-high rushing yards (915). With 204 rushing attempts, he managed to break only 5 tackles the entire season. That same season, JaMycal Hasty also broke 5 tackles, and he did so in less than a quarter of the rushing attempts. JaMycal Hasty was recently dropped after being the Jaguars fourth-string running back behind Tank Bigsby and D’Ernset Johnson, while Austin Ekeler is considered to be one of the best in the league. Ekeler also averaged 1.9 yards after contact, chasing down future hall of farmers such as Clyde Edwards Helaire, who averaged 2.4. He also tied for the second-most fumbles by a running back this same season (5). As a receiver, his longest reception in 2022 went for a staggering 23-yard gain. To reemphasize, he had 127 targets and his longest catch went for 23 yards. It helps your receiving numbers quite a lot when your quarterback, Justin Herbert, throws the second most pass attempts in the league (only behind Tom Brady). Herbert threw 699 passes, over 50 more than the third-place Patrick Mahomes. Ekeler also finished 2022 with the 8th worst yards per reception in the NFL at 6.7. To cap it off, he finished 4th in dropped passes, and the next running back on the list was 25th.
Austin Ekeler is not an elite running back. In fact, he is not even an average running back. His output as a runner is abysmal, and his decent receiving numbers can be attributed to short dump-offs by a quarterback who throws 41 times per game. Draft him for your fantasy league, maybe watch a few of his highlights on Instagram, but whatever you do, pray he does not end up as the lead back on your favorite team.
All Statistics Obtained Via:
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