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Austin Ekeler fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks for Week 1 (2025). Should you start or sit Austin Ekeler for fantasy football lineups?
BALLER MOVE: Start in 12-team leagues
POSITIONAL VALUE: High-floor RB2 in PPR leagues/flex in standard leagues
ANALYSIS: Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler served as the primary pass-catching back in his debut season in D.C., but appears poised to take over the lead role this season. In 2024, Ekeler saw most of his opportunities in passing situations, as Brian Robinson Jr. was the typical first and second-down running back.
However, with Robinson recently being traded to San Francisco, Ekeler faces minimal serious competition for the starting job. While third-year running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. and rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt figure to carve out a role, in the short term, the veteran should be in a position to lead the team in carries.
Despite playing a limited role in 2024, Ekeler was highly efficient. The long-time Charger posted a strong 4.8 YPC and impressive 10.5 YPR. This was only the fourth time in his career that Ekeler averaged more than 10 yards per reception. During his first 10 games of the season, Ekeler averaged a strong 12.7 PPR points per game, which put him in solid flex territory.
Now that he is expected also to lead the team in attempts, Ekeler carries high-floor RB2 upside in PPR leagues and must-start flex value in standard leagues facing the New York Giants in Week 1.
Austin Ekeler Viewed as "Key" Piece of Washington Offense https://t.co/aFmSZ6xjg1
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) August 19, 2025
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 1 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Austin Ekeler. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 1. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 1 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Austin Ekeler. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 1.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 1 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 1 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 1 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 1 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Austin Ekeler compared to others:
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