Who Should I Start? Latavius Murray or Austin Ekeler

Thursday, July 31, 1:24 PM

Veteran running back Latavius Murray is retiring from the NFL, Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports reports. Murray was originally a sixth-round pick (181st overall) in the 2013 NFL draft out of Central Florida by the Oakland Raiders. The 35-year-old spent the first three years of his NFL career in Oakland before then joining the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints for two years each. Murray bounced around with the Baltimore Ravens, Saints, Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills his last three seasons. He finishes his 10-year NFL career with 6,552 rushing yards and 59 touchdowns on 1,560 attempts while catching 239 passes for 1,620 yards and two more TDs in 151 regular-season games. Murray was a Pro Bowler once in 2015 with the Raiders, when he had 1,066 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He had 300 yards in 16 games with the Bills in his final season in 2023.

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.