In August, we will ask our staff a single question on a variety of topics ranging from a huge news event to a tough fantasy decision or player evaluation.
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If you like this format, come back for another Question of the Day. Today, we take a look at one of the first running backs off the board. There hasn't been much recent chatter around Austin Ekeler, but he is still pretty much locked in as a top-seven pick.
Here's the question we asked our staff.
Where do you have Austin Ekeler ranked? Are you targeting him in your drafts?
And here's the quick answer for each player's ranking:
- Highest rank for Ekeler - RB1
- Average rank for Ekeler - RB2.1
- Lowest rank for Ekeler - RB3
That's a tight grouping. And maybe that's the reason Ekeler isn't getting much discussion. People generally have him around the same place.
Check out the full answers below to see where Ekeler ranks overall.
Jason Wood: In 0.5 PPR scoring, Austin Ekeler is my RB2 (behind Christian McCaffrey) and my 2nd-ranked player overall. No news is good news for the veteran, as he put his contractual frustrations to bed months ago and has been an upbeat, engaged participant in Chargers activities all offseason. As to whether I'm targeting him, how could I not be? Unless I have the first overall pick, Ekeler is on a very short list of players I think you need to draft in nearly any scoring format. The only caveat would be in Superflex leagues, where he would be a late first-round target instead.
Dan Hindery: Austin Ekeler is the clear RB2, and I am taking him at 1.04 (behind Christian McCaffrey, Justin Jefferson, and Ja'Marr Chase). If Cooper Kupp wasn't dealing with a minor hamstring injury, then I would consider him at 1.04 over Ekeler, but for now, I am breaking ties in favor of the player who is fully healthy. There has been next to no buzz about any of the Chargers' backup running backs, so we can safely assume Ekeler will again get as many touches as he can handle. Plus, with Justin Herbert and the offensive line healthy, this Chargers offense has a chance to be one of the league's best.
Ben Cummins: I'm in line with consensus, as Austin Ekeler is my seventh-ranked player. Ekeler is an elite dual-threat talent projected to once again handle a large workload in one of the best offenses in the league. Ekeler has 177 receptions and 38 touchdowns over the past two seasons. There's no need to overthink this one.