Fantasy Football Running Backs – Los Angeles Chargers

Drafting multiple RBs from the same team is not something I like to do. But there are certain teams each year where I am comfortable doing so. In general these are the rules that I like to follow in my fantasy football drafts when selecting multiple RBs on the same team.

Rule 1

One or both players needs to be undervalued by the fantasy football community as a whole.

In the case of the Cowboys and the Ravens, I view both of the main running backs as slightly undervalued. But for the Chargers that mold is a bit different. According to ADP, Austin Ekeler is currently the 2nd player drafted, which is right on par with where I value him. Isaiah Spiller on the other hand is being drafted in the 11th round. That seems like a great value to me.

Rule 2

The team needs to be in a position to score a lot of points.

Last year the Chargers were 5th in points per game during the regular season. The Chargers also ranked 5th in plays per game. With the way the AFC West is going, the Chargers are going to need to be near the top of the league in both of those stats again in order to compete in their division.

Austin Ekeler (RB2, Overall 2)

With the full workload in 2021, Ekeler had 206 rushing attempts for 911 yards and 12 touchdowns. His previous highs in both of those areas were 557 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Even though Ekeler had a career high in carries, he was still heavily involved in the passing game. His 647 yards was his 2nd highest amount in his career. His 8 receiving touchdowns tied his previous high mark. Ekeler was truly a workhorse back in 2021, which should still be mostly true in 2022.

2022 Outlook

The Chargers have always seemed skeptical of giving Ekeler the full workload. Their drafts in the past have shown it. This year they drafted Isaiah Spiller in the 4th. This move indicates that they may be trying to manage Ekeler’s workload after last season.

This most likely means we see Ekeler taken off the field a bit more on running plays, especially as the team gets close to the goal line. In 2021, Ekeler had 25 rushing attempts from within the 10 yard line, and 10 turned into touchdowns. Even if Ekeler loses 50% of this work he should still be in line for several touchdowns from within the red zone.

This decrease in rushing work, should create a bit more efficiency as a runner; and additional explosive plays which were not necessarily his strong point last year.

In addition to gaining efficiency and explosiveness, Ekeler could be in line for even more work as a pass-catcher; where he truly excels. Ekeler ranked near the top in nearly every receiving stat from the running back position. Ekeler only ran 25 routes from the slot position out of his 393 total routes. If Ekeler gets more slot usage he will be in more space and be able to create more explosive plays.

Isaiah Spiller (RB44, Overall 122)

With the 4th round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Chargers selected one of the most talented running backs in the class at a huge value. At one point, Spiller was projected to be a first round pick. Due to several reasons, Spiller slipped in the draft.

The Negatives

After a 1036 rushing yard and 9 rushing touchdown Sophomore year, there were big expectations for the Junior. Unfortunately he did not match either of those numbers the following year; though he played in two additional games in the 2021 season. This lack of production as a Junior was in part due to inconsistent run blocking. In addition, Spiller had a poor performance at the Combine and his Pro Day.

The Positives

His predraft downfalls allowed Spiller to slip to one of the fastest paced, and highest scoring offenses in the league. A dream landing spot for many fantasy football managers, including myself.

Up until 2021, the Chargers were not willing to commit to giving Ekeler the ball on the goal line. At Texas A&M, Spiller has shown that he is more than capable of short yardage and goal line work. The Chargers clearly viewed the goal line work as a need. They targeted a player that is capable of success on that part of the field, and so much more.

Spiller was productive in college in both the running and passing game. If you watch Spillers tape you will see a player that efficiently and decisively finds the best path to get downfield quickly. Spiller is rarely brought down behind the line of scrimmage or by the first tackler. Once on the move, Spiller is one of the most elusive runners in the class and constantly makes defenders miss.

Best of all, you don’t need to use a high value pick to draft him in . This ADP puts Spiller near several other intriguing players. But not as many offer the upside that Spiller has. At worst, he will be getting some of the high value goal line touches. The best case scenario for Spiller is that Ekeler gets injured and Spiller takes over the lead back role.

Conclusion

I wish Ekeler would drop a few more spots in ADP by the time that I draft. That being said, I am happy to use my 2nd overall pick on him if that is what it comes down to. We are likely to see a decrease in total touchdowns which will hurt his fantasy football value. But his efficiency should improve with more managed touches which could also lead to more explosive plays.

Whether you draft Ekeler or not, Spiller is someone that I would be targeting in the 10th or 11th rounds of my fantasy football drafts. I want as many players as possible tied to good NFL offenses. The Chargers have clearly been looking for someone to spell Ekeler, and I believe that Spiller is the guy that they have been looking for. Spiller will get valuable touches weekly no matter what, but if Ekeler misses time Spiller will get the majority of the touches.