Who Should I Start? Austin Ekeler or Gus Edwards

Thursday, June 27, 4:25 PM

Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler was an elite fantasy football producer for a few of his seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, but last year was disappointing for the veteran and fantasy managers. Ekeler posted 179 attempts for 628 yards and five touchdowns and caught 51 passes for 436 yards and one touchdown en route to an RB26 finish in PPR leagues. He was selected as a top-three running back in PPR formats, so it was far from ideal. However, the former undrafted free agent is confident he will bounce back in 2024. "You're going to get the best version of myself always, no matter what," Ekeler told NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero. "There's been this controversy out there, like, 'Oh Austin said he doesn't want 300 carries, 'cause that's what the Chargers said.' I've never had that many carries ever. So, I don't know why everybody's in an uproar. It's not that I don't want to touch the ball. It's the way that I've had the most production is when I'm able to split between catching and running the ball. If I'm healthy, I'm going to be on the field and I'm going to be producing." The 29-year-old is slated to share the backfield with Brian Robinson this season, but as long as he maintains the clear pass-catching role out of the backfield, he should be a weekly flex option in PPR and half-PPR setups. He is usually available after the top 25 running backs are selected.

Wednesday, July 24, 10:00 PM

After working on the side during June's minicamp, Gus Edwards was seen working out in full uniform and going through individual drills during training camp on Wednesday along with J.K. Dobbins. Edwards was reported to have had an offseason procedure, but it looks like Edwards will increase his work as camp continues. Both Edwards and Dobbins will jockey for touches in a competitive backfield along with rookie Kimani Vidal and veteran Isaiah Spiller. Edwards should have a leg up on the group as an early-down back and also receiving goal-line work, while Dobbins' Achilles injury recovery will likely be handled more cautiously by the team. It's looking like Edwards is a mid-round value RB3 for fantasy managers in 2024, while Dobbins' status throughout training camp should be closely monitored.