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Los Angeles Chargers running back Joshua Kelley may have finally hit rock bottom in a Week 16 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Kelley ran the ball just once, losing two yards. He was not targeted in the passing game, leaving him with a total of negative two yards on the day. Kelley has been operating as Austin Ekeler's backup while Ekeler has been healthy, but he's at least had some change-of-pace opportunities in past games. He can be safely dropped by any fantasy managers still holding on for some reason.
Dec 24, 2023 12:06 AM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Joshua Kelley is unlikely to do much in a Week 16 game against the Buffalo Bills. Kelley was an afterthought in Week 15, where Isaiah Spiller led the backfield and Austin Ekeler got his work in as well. Kelley ended up with five carries for 22 yards and one catch for six more yards. He's likely in for a similar performance this week, leaving him off the fantasy radar in most formats, especially in a playoff week.
Dec 21, 2023 4:11 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Joshua Kelley got five carries in a Week 15 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. Kelley ran the ball five times, gaining 22 yards but losing a fumble. He ended up with the same number of carries as "starter" Austin Ekeler, but third-string running back Isaiah Spiller led the backfield in carries with 16 and yards with 50. It was a mess of a game that ended up as a 63-21 Chargers loss. Kelley won't be much of a fantasy option going forward in what could be the worst offensive team in the National Football League.
Dec 15, 2023 12:48 AM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Joshua Kelley is not an appealing fantasy asset in most leagues for a Week 15 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. There were rumors before last week's game that the Chargers may have a backfield competition, but that never happened, as Austin Ekeler retained his starting role and Joshua Kelley retained his role as the struggling backup and change-of-pace option. Kelley should not be started in Week 15 and can remain on the waiver wire in most leagues.
Dec 13, 2023 11:24 AM EST
A report surfaced last week that the Los Angeles Chargers might involve running back Joshua Kelley more in Week 14 against the Denver Broncos with Austin Ekeler struggling to get anything going on the ground. That didn't end up happening. Instead, Kelley played a season-low 10 percent of the offensive snaps -- even Isaiah Spiller was on the field more -- and had three carries for six yards in the 24-7 loss. He wasn't involved in the passing game. The Bolts fell behind by a couple scores early and were never able to get back into the contest. It didn't help that quarterback Justin Herbert fractured his right index finger and didn't return after halftime. The 26-year-old backup remains well off the fantasy radar, especially now that Herbert might be forced to miss the final four games of the regular season.
Dec 11, 2023 12:24 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers coach Brandon Staley, frustrated by the lack of production in the running game, noted Wednesday that "competition for carries is going to be something that you can see happening." Starter Austin Ekeler has lacked explosiveness since returning from his ankle injury and age may be catching up to him. He's averaging under three yards per carry since his return. Backup Joshua Kelley hasn't topped the three-yard mark in any of his last three games, so he may not be the answer either. Regardless, it seems that the coaching staff is eager to find a solution to their running woes, and that could mean more of a split workload on Sunday.
Dec 7, 2023 9:27 AM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Joshua Kelley is not a fantasy option in any format in a Week 10 game against the Detroit Lions. Kelley had a chance to start while Austin Ekeler was out, but now that Ekeler is back and playing well again, Kelley is little more than his backup and an occasional change of pace. In the past four games, Kelley has combined for 20 fantasy points, with 14 of those coming in Week 7. He might be worth a roster spot on a deep bench for Ekeler's fantasy managers, but other than that he can safely be left on the waiver wire in most leagues.
Nov 9, 2023 1:57 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Joshua Kelley is not a starting option in fantasy lineups for a Week 9 game against the New York Jets. With Austin Ekeler back and finally playing well in Week 8, Kelley settled back into his distant second spot in the Chargers backfield hierarchy, getting just six touches and two fantasy points. He's worth keeping on the bench in deeper leagues, especially for those who roster Ekeler, but he shouldn't be near any fantasy starting lineups this week.
Nov 3, 2023 1:17 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Joshua Kelley isn't a good starting option in most fantasy leagues in a Week 8 game against the Chicago Bears. Kelley ended up finishing as the overall RB14 in Week 7 by putting up 14 fantasy points, but most of that came on a single play where he found a hole and ran in a long touchdown. He's playing well behind starter Austin Ekeler, and is unlikely to repeat his performance, instead filling in as a change-of-pace and whenever Ekeler needs a breather.
Oct 26, 2023 2:25 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Joshua Kelley ran well in a Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Kelley got seven carries, gaining 75 yards and scoring a long touchdown. Kelley was out-touched 14-7 by Austin Ekeler, but was able to significantly out-gain him, 75-45. Kelley's 49-yard touchdown certainly helped, but he generally looked like the more explosive back behind the Chargers Charmin-soft offensive line. He won't have consistent fantasy upside going forward, but Week 8 against the Bears could be a good matchup coming up.
Oct 22, 2023 8:09 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Joshua Kelley went back to his backup role in a Week 6 game against the Dallas Cowboys. Kelley had been operating (mostly ineffectively) as the Chargers starting running back since Week 2, filling in for the injured Austin Ekeler (ankle). With Ekeler back in the starting lineup in Week 6 though, Kelley totaled just two touches: one rush for two yards and one catch for another two yards. Kelley will be mostly unstartable in any format unless Ekeler is forced to miss time again.
Oct 17, 2023 1:01 AM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Joshua Kelley, starting again in place of an injured Austin Ekeler (ankle), played much better in a Week 4 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Kelley struggled as a starter in Weeks 2 and 3, but put up 65 yards on 17 carries in Week 4. It wasn't an overly impressive outing, but after combining for 51 yards in his past two starts, any fantasy managers who started Kelley again were likely at least satisfied. With Ekeler expected to return after the Chargers bye week, Kelley will go back to his role as a backup/change of pace type back with little fantasy value.
Oct 1, 2023 7:50 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Joshua Kelley is set to make another start in Week 4 against the Las Vegas Raiders. With starting running back Austin Ekeler (ankle) listed as doubtful and unlikely to play, Kelley will once again serve as the Chargers lead back. He gets a slight uptick since he'll command most of the running back touches, but Kelley as lead back hasn't yielded much in terms of results, as he's averaged under 13 touches and 28 yards. In Week 3, Kelley turned 11 rushes into 12 total yards. Despite a plus matchup against the Raiders defense, Kelley isn't more than a middling RB3 option in fantasy lineups.
Sep 30, 2023 6:21 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Joshua Kelley isn't much of a fantasy starting option in a Week 4 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Kelley wasn't able to do much as the starting running back in place of an injured Austin Ekeler (ankle) in Weeks 2 and 3. With Ekeler trending toward playing in Week 4, Kelley would take a backseat from that starting role. While he did produce much more in Week 1 as a rotational back behind Ekeler, it remains to be seen if that pattern will continue. Kelley can be kept on benches just in case, but likely shouldn't be started in Week 4.
Sep 28, 2023 5:13 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Joshua Kelley was disappointing again in a Week 3 win over the Minnesota Vikings. Kelley got the start over Austin Ekeler (ankle) who was forced to miss another game with the injury he suffered at the end of Week 1. Kelley ran the ball 11 times, gaining a total of just 12 yards. He caught one pass for five yards on his only target. Kelley's longest run was a four yard gain, and he averaged just over one yard per carry. Luckily for the Chargers, they were able to throw the ball at will against the Vikings zone defense. Kelley's best contribution to the Chargers offense has been showing just how valuable Ekeler is when he's on the field.
Sep 24, 2023 5:15 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Joshua Kelley, starting in place of an injured Austin Ekeler (ankle) was disappointing in a Week 2 overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans. Kelley just couldn't get anything going, running the ball 13 times for 39 scoreless yards and not contributing anything in the passing game. A week after the Chargers were able to dominate the ground game against the Miami Dolphins, they were unable to move the ball on the ground at all against the Titans. Kelley was one of the most popular waiver wire adds this week as soon as Ekeler started trending downward, but Kelley wasn't much help for fantasy managers and if anything showed the enormous talent gap between Ekeler and the other backs on the Chargers roster.
Sep 17, 2023 4:52 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Joshua Kelley could be a starting option in fantasy leagues in Week 2 if starter Austin Ekeler (ankle) is forced to miss time. Ekeler missed practice this week with an ankle injury and is currently listed as questionable. Kelley received a near even share of carries and snaps in Week 1 and would be in line for a much heavier workload if Ekeler can't go. Even if Ekeler plays, Kelley would likely see at least half of the carries, giving him some FLEX appeal despite a tough Tennessee run defense.
Sep 14, 2023 2:21 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Joshua Kelley got the same number of carries as starter Austin Ekeler in Sunday's loss to the Miami Dolphins. Kelley ran the ball 16 times, gaining 91 yards and scoring a touchdown. He was targeted once in the passing game but was unable to make the catch. With Isaiah Spiller a healthy scratch, Kelley is the clear number two running back on the Bolts depth chart. He's worth rostering in most formats and would be an immediate starter if Ekeler were to miss time.
Sep 11, 2023 1:35 AM EST
The Athletic's Daniel Popper is giving the slight edge to Los Angeles Chargers running back Joshua Kelley in the competition with Isaiah Spiller for the team's RB2 role behind Austin Ekeler entering the 2023 regular season. Kelley had a 75-yard touchdown run in the preseason finale and has taken well to offensive coordinator Kellen Moore's downhill rushing scheme. But Spiller looks more confident, and the balance for the No. 2 job could change as the season wears on. Only five backs have had more touches last year than Ekeler, so LA's depth at the position could become a factor in 2023. The 25-year-old Kelley was more productive in 2022 with 4.2 yards per carry after struggling in his first two NFL seasons. Kelley, for now, should be considered the best handcuff for those that have Ekeler rostered.
Sep 5, 2023 7:53 PM EST
Los Angeles Chargers running back Joshua Kelley got two carries in the third Chargers preseason game, but made the most of one of them, totaling 78 yards with his two totes. But one of them was a 75-yard touchdown, so he got all of his scheduled running in on one play. Kelley should open the season as the second running back on the depth chart, behind starter Austin Ekeler. Kelley is a decent direct backup to Ekeler, but won't have a ton of value unless he moves into a starting role.
Aug 26, 2023 1:45 AM EST
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