Who Should I Start? Austin Ekeler or Jonathan Taylor


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
8.0 33.7 0.3 1.2 9.9 0.1

Austin Ekeler News

How Much is Left in the Tank for Austin Ekeler?

Tuesday, February 10, 9:31 AM

Pending free agent running back Austin Ekeler signed a two-year deal with the Washington Commanders before the 2024 season, but has struggled with injuries since. The 30-year-old back managed fewer than 70 offensive snaps in 2025 before a devastating Achilles injury ended his season in Week 2. While his touchdown numbers have dropped precipitously from his fantasy glory days with the Chargers, he continued to prove himself a valuable part of the Commanders' passing game. With almost a full year of recovery before the start of the 2026 season and a work ethic second to none, it should come as no surprise if he signs a minimal short-term deal when free agency opens in March, potentially carving out a dedicated third-down role. While his RB1 days are clearly behind him, he could represent a next-to-nothing dynasty buy with the occasional spike week still in his future.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
19.4 104.4 0.9 1.7 13.6 0.1

Jonathan Taylor News

Jonathan Taylor Has Top-Tier Upside with Quarterback Healthy

Monday, February 16, 12:59 PM

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor was off to a fantastic start to the 2025 season, but a midseason quarterback change weakened the offense and reduced his upside. The superstar running back was the overall RB1 in PPR leagues from Weeks 1 through 10, scoring an absurd 17 touchdowns during that span. He also had four three-touchdown games over a span of eight weeks. He was slightly less productive after the bye, and his productivity took another step backward when Daniel Jones (Achilles) tore his Achilles in Week 14. He still scored at least 12 points in four of his five games with Philip Rivers and Riley Leonard, but he was more of a low-end RB1 or high-end RB2 during that span. He can get back into the high-end RB1 tier with Jones healthy. In fact, he's an intriguing buy-low in dynasty leagues, and managers in redraft leagues should feel comfortable selecting him somewhere between picks 5-10 if Jones returns healthy for Week 1 of the 2026 season.


Austin Ekeler vs. Jonathan Taylor

Still trying to decide between Ekeler and Taylor? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Austin Ekeler is projected to score 8.0 points this week while Jonathan Taylor is projected to score 19.4 points.