Austin Ekeler Injury Update Solidifies Week 12 Fantasy Outlook

Update, 11:35 a.m. EST: Austin Ekeler has been officially declared active for Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills.

#LACvsBUF Inactives:

Easton Stick
Casey Hayward Jr.
Kalen Ballage
Uchenna Nwosu
Tyree St. Louis
Storm Norton
Cortez Broughton pic.twitter.com/s7PyAEqkju
— Los Angeles Chargers (@Chargers) November 29, 2020

Fantasy football managers will be glad to hear that Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler is expected to suit up and play this Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. This would be Ekeler's first game back since suffering a major hamstring injury back in Week 4.

Ekeler is said to be at full health, but the Chargers may take a cautious approach when it comes to his immediate touches. He only recently returned to practice and may need time to get back associated with the offense. However, that doesn't mean he has no fantasy value.

#Chargers RB Austin Ekeler, just activated from Injured Reserve because of a serious hamstring injury, is set to play today, source said. He won’t be the bell cow just yet, but he’s slated to play. Meanwhile RB Kalen Ballage (ankle/calf) is a game-time decision.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 29, 2020

Austin Ekeler Fantasy Outlook

In the three full games he played, Ekeler shined averaging 126.0 total yards per game to go along with an average of 21.0 touches per game. That is solid production that mirrors what an RB1 in fantasy football is trusted to produce.

While Ekeler may not be the workhorse running back he was before right away, he definitely brings a lot of upside into Week 12. Fantasy football managers most likely stashed Ekeler away eagerly awaiting his return, so it makes little sense to sit him now that he is back.

He draws a decent matchup this week going up against a Bills' defense that is giving up 135.0 rushing yards per game this season (No. 29 in the NFL). With current starter Kalen Ballage not expected to play, the opportunity is there for Ekeler to see some work.

It is risky to start Ekeler this week as no one truly knows how the Chargers will use him, but winning in fantasy football never comes without making some risky moves. If you have Ekeler on your roster, give him a shot in your FLEX spot this week.

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Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.