Trying to determine whether or not a player will be as effective for your fantasy football team from one year to the next is an absolute fucking crapshoot. While looking at Los Angeles Chargers’ running back Austin Ekeler, he appears to be one of those players who can win you a championship, or fuck you right over. So, is it worth drafting Ekeler in the first round? 

If we were discussing a second-round or a third round pick, then Ekeler gives you a lot of value. However, I understand some of the uncertainty that some fantasy owners have about using a first round beck on Ekeler. Very much like Christian McCaffrey, Ekeler’s success on the field and in fantasy football is completely predicated on whether or not he can stay healthy. Ekeler’s  2021 season was a bit of a breakout year for the 5th year back, and many people are trying to decide whether he will carry that momentum into the 2022 season. 

Eichler played in 16 games last year, and he ran the ball 206 times and collected 911 rushing yards. Ekeler also hauled in 70 pases that totalled 647 receiving yards. He finished the season with 20 total touchdowns. Those numbers alone should make Ekeler a lock to be picked with a top five draft spot. However, Ekeler’s previous seasons have been filled with injuries, and have been very inconsistent from a fantasy football perspective. 

Going back to his rookie season in 2017, Ekeler has finished 45th, 25th, fourth, 26th, and then second, amongst all fantasy running backs. Again, the inconsistency is less about Austin Ekeler’s play on the field, and more about his inability to stay on the field. 

Right now many fantasy experts have Ekeler ranked as the third-best player in fantasy football. Because of his injury history that is going to leave people with a tough decision about whether or not to use a top 3 pick. 

The emergence of quarterback Justin Herbert is only going to help Ekeler’s case. I believe even if Eckler were to miss games this season, he will be so involved in the game plan, he should still be a very productive player on anybody’s fantasy team. 

That being said, while you are preparing for your fantasy draft, make sure that you find a reliable backup in case Ekeler is injured. You could also consider using Austin Ekeler as your option piece, and replace him with a wide receiver if he were to go down. 

There’s a lot more positives than negatives surrounding Austin Ekeler. I for one would be much more confident using a top 5 pick on Ekeler, than I would on a player like Christian McCaffrey. Even though Eckler has struggled with injuries, he has not missed the same significant amount of time as McCaffrey has. 

So when it’s your turn to pick, if Austin Ekeler is available, feel confident taking him off the board.