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Is Austin Ekeler playing tonight versus the Chiefs on Thursday Night Football, or is Austin Ekeler injured? Read the injury updates for Ekeler in Week 15.
Week 15 is the start of the playoffs in the vast majority of fantasy leagues. Staying on top of the latest fantasy football injury news and NFL depth chart changes is key to setting those winning lineups.
The Los Angeles Chargers have been one of the better overall offenses in the NFL this year, thanks in large part to running back Austin Ekeler. But an ankle injury forced him from last Sunday's win over the New York Giants early and has him questionable to play Thursday night in a huge divisional matchup against the AFC West-leading Kansas City Chiefs.
Is Austin Ekeler playing tonight on Thursday Night Football against the Chiefs? And if he does suit up, will he see his normal workload as the Bolts' workhorse, do-it-all running back? Below we'll dig into Ekeler's status and attempt to answer questions about what he might do if he plays.
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Is Austin Ekeler Playing In Week 15 Against the Chiefs?
Although Austin Ekeler is dealing with an ankle injury, he is expected to be active and play against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday Night Football in Week 15. to kick off Week 15 action. With that being said, nothing will be official until the Chargers release their inactive list later Thursday.
Ekeler is officially a game-time decision, so the Chargers will evaluate him in pre-game warmups before making the final decision, but all signs point to him being active. It was headed this way after the 26-year-old got in two limited practices on Tuesday and Wednesday.
UPDATE: Austin Ekeler will be active for the game, but may not have a full workload due to the ankle injury:
Will Austin Ekeler Have a Full Workload in Week 15?
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley stated that Austin Ekeler has been experiencing more soreness than expected after suffering an ankle sprain last Sunday. So while Ekeler should be active and get the start on Thursday night against the Chiefs, he may not see a completely full workload coming off his sprained ankle. That could mean more Justin Jackson, Joshua Kelley and rookie Larry Rountree III mixing in behind him.
Should I Start Austin Ekeler Against the Chiefs?
Austin Ekeler needs to be in all redraft starting lineups for the first week of the fantasy playoffs if he's active, as is expected. It can be a bit unnerving to hear that your stud RB won't have a full workload, but Ekeler still remains the odds-on favorite to see the majority of backfield touches on Thursday in what is expected to be a high-scoring game.
Don't forget how good Ekeler has been in 2021. He enters Week 15 as the RB2 in fantasy with 161 carries for 730 yards and nine rushing touchdowns, adding 58 receptions on 75 targets for 535 receiving yards and seven more touchdowns.
His 75 passing targets rank second to only Leonard Fournette, his 58 receptions are third behind Fournette and Najee Harris, and his 535 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns lead all NFL RBs. There's a common saying in fantasy once the postseason begins: Stick with your studs. It's time to ride or die with Ekeler.
One last thing to convince Ekeler's fantasy managers to stick with him: The Chiefs defense has given up the third-most receptions to RBs (87) this year, which is obviously Ekeler's bread and butter. Ekeler had 11 carries for 55 yards against KC in their first meeting in Week 3, but he added six receptions for 52 yards and a TD.
Be sure to check back for any additional injury updates and additional news on Ekeler as we approach kickoff for Thursday Night Football.
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