Who Should I Start? Austin Ekeler or Zach Charbonnet

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Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Austin Ekeler News

Austin Ekeler 100 Percent Medically Cleared for Football Activities

Thursday, April 30, 9:22 AM

Veteran free-agent running back Austin Ekeler (Achilles) is 100% fully medically cleared for all football activities after suffering a torn right Achilles last September against the Green Bay Packers, a league source told Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. Ekeler intends to play in 2026 and is expected to draw plenty of interest. The 30-year-old was one of the premier pass-catching backs in the NFL in his seven seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers before he signed a two-year deal with the Washington Commanders before the 2024 season. He appeared in 12 games (six starts) for Washington in 2024, carrying the ball 77 times for 367 yards and four touchdowns while catching 35 passes for 366 receiving yards. Ekeler missed some time due to a concussion that year before playing in just two games in 2025 before tearing his Achilles. Ekeler might not be the same shifty back in space after his season-ending injury, but he could still give a team some solid pass-catching depth out of the backfield as he nears the end of his career.

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Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
5.7 24.6 0.2 0.9 6.7 0.0

Zach Charbonnet News

Zach Charbonnet Still Has Late-Round Stash Appeal

Wednesday, August 12, 10:40 AM

Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet is hard to trust for September, but he is still worth remembering late in redraft leagues. Charbonnet ran 184 times for 730 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, with seven of those scores coming on 16 carries from inside the five-yard line. He also caught 20 passes for 144 yards. The problem is obvious: Charbonnet tore the ACL in his left knee during Seattle's divisional-round win over San Francisco and did not have surgery until Feb. 20. He remains on the PUP list, and the Seahawks have said a Week 1 return looks unlikely. Seattle also used the 32nd overall pick on Jadarian Price, so Charbonnet will not simply walk back into the job Kenneth Walker III left behind. George Holani and Emanuel Wilson are part of the mix, too. Even so, Charbonnet is a 6-foot-1, 220-pound back who already showed Seattle can trust him near the goal line, and RotoBaller has him all the way down at RB60. If your bench is deep enough to wait on him, there is still useful second-half upside here.

Austin Ekeler vs. Zach Charbonnet

Still trying to decide between Ekeler and Charbonnet? 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 0.0 points this week while Zach Charbonnet is projected to score 5.7 points.