Who Should I Start? Austin Ekeler or Kyren Williams

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.

Thursday, July 25, 6:20 PM

Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams appears to be the clear No. 1 back heading into camp, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports. Williams is coming off a breakout season where he rushed for nearly 1,200 yards with 12 touchdowns in 12 games with the Rams. On paper, Williams should be the workhorse back but there could be some concern because he hasn't played a full season in the league yet. Also, the Rams drafted running back Blake Corum who should be in the mix for touches right away. Despite that, Williams should get the bulk of the carries early in the season. Corum could see an increased workload if Williams struggles, but it's say to assume Williams is going to be leaned on as the No. 1 back to open the season.