Fanduel
Log In
The Duel

Kalen Ballage Injury Update Improves Joshua Kelley Week 12 Fantasy Outlook

By Larry Rupp

Kalen Ballage's latest injury update improves the Week 12 fantasy outlook for Joshua Kelley.
Kalen Ballage's latest injury update improves the Week 12 fantasy outlook for Joshua Kelley. / Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
facebooktwitterreddit

The Los Angeles Chargers' backfield will look a lot different this week as current starter Kalen Ballage is not expected to play this Sunday against the Buffalo Billls. With Austin Ekeler set to return as well, Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn will have to adjust his gameplan accordingly.

Ballage suffered calf and ankle injuries that made him limited in practice this past week. He has been a reliable option out of the backfield for the Chargers in the last three games, averaging 85.6 total yards on 22.3 opportunities (16.3 rushes plus 6.0 targets) per game. This news benefits Ekeler's outlook as well as rookie Joshua Kelley.

Joshua Kelley Fantasy Outlook

Once expected to take over the Chargers' backfield following Ekeler's Week 4 injury, Kelley was never able to find his footing and has simply acted as a change-of-pace back for the Chargers. He is averaging just 3.0 yards per attempt this season, but has proven to be a receiving weapon, hauling in 21 receptions so far.

Many people expect Ekeler to see the bulk of the touches on Sunday, but he may need time to shake off the rust and get back into the swing of things. That means Kelley could see his fair share of early down work and provide some upside in deeper fantasy football leagues.

This is a great matchup as well, with the Bills' defense giving up 135.0 rushing yards per game this season (the fourth most in the league). It is no secret that starting Kelley comes with a lot of risk this week, but if you are in dire need of running back help, he is not a horrible option.

SIGN UP AND GET AN INSTANT DEPOSIT BONUS UP TO 500! We'll match 20% of your first deposit on FanDuel Fantasy Sports. Max bonus $500

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.