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Car insurance. Home insurance. Life insurance. We all like to protect our assets in case something catastrophic happens. In fantasy football, some managers opt to ensure they have a backup plan should their star running back suffer an injury that forces them to miss games.
It's not always a clear picture of who will get the bulk of the touches when the starter goes down. There are obvious ones like Jaylen Warren taking over if Najee Harris gets hurt or Tyler Allgeier taking control if rookie Bijan Robinson needs to sit in Atlanta. A majority of backfields are far murkier.
In the case of the Los Angeles Chargers, is Joshua Kelley the primary insurance back if Austin Ekeler were to miss time? Or will a committee approach be taken? The rotation, or lack thereof, may influence your decision to insure Ekeler in fantasy drafts.
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Filling In When Austin Ekeler Rests
Despite his dominant fantasy performance in 2022 (107 catches, 1,637 yards from scrimmage, and 18 touchdowns), Austin Ekeler's usage does not match other every-down running backs across the league. In fact, he only averaged about 61% of the snaps per game. That ranked 15th among running backs in 2022, below guys like David Montgomery and Devin Singletary.
The answer as to who came in when Ekeler caught his breath was Joshua Kelley, at least most of the time. Veteran Sony Michel got his fair share of opportunities and then-rookie Isaiah Spiller ran the rock a few times. Even Larry Rountree III logged a game with the second-most backfield touches.
Michel dominated the first third of the season, only relegated behind Kelley in Week 5 (they tied for touches in Week 2). Following the bye, when Kelley did not play, Spiller took his turn as the primary backup. Following his return in Week 12, Kelley spelled Ekeler the most with the exception of Week 17 when both Kelley and Rountree garnered double-digit touches.
In the last game that Ekeler missed (Week 16 in 2021), Justin Jackson was the lead running back, with Kelley playing the supporting role.
Is Joshua Kelley Worth Drafting For Fantasy Football?
The Chargers' coaching staff has never seemed overly enthusiastic about using Kelley and there was a real battle between the fourth-year pro and Spiller in training camp to be second on the depth chart. Ultimately, Kelley put his stamp on the competition.
The Chargers averaged the third-worst yards per carry (3.8) in the NFL last season. New offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and the return of star offensive tackle Rashawn Slater will help mitigate that problem in the new year, but this team still profiles as one that favors the passing game.
If you're one of the fantasy managers who feels more secure about their team when they have insurance for their star running back and want to draft Kelley, go for it. He's basically free with an ADP of 217 (18th round in a 12-team league). If Ekeler were to miss time, Spiller and possibly undrafted rookie Elijah Dotson would likely split the touches with Kelley.
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