Fantasy Football: Top 15 Sleepers to Target in 2019
By Kole Berrey
FANTASY FOOTBALL SLEEPERS TO TARGET IN 2019
NUMBER 11 – AUSTIN EKELER
Austin Ekeler is a name that Chiefs fans and Melvin Gordon owners from last year are probably already familiar with. Ekeler was already a decent part of the Chargers offense last year, and could be an even bigger part moving forward.
He had some spot starts later in the year when Gordon was battling injury, but he was already contributing to the offense without being the featured back before that. In 14 games last year (and only three starts) Ekeler posted 554 rushing yards, 404 reeving yards, and six touchdowns. Ekeler is at worst a mid tier flex option week in and week out because of his role in the passing game, especially in PPR (points per reception) leagues.
The reason Ekeler is so intriguing this season is because of the uncertainty surrounding Gordon’s future with the team. Gordon has apparently given the Charger’s front office an ultimatum; pay me or trade me to someone who will. It appears that the Chargers are going to be sticking to their guns in this situation, and if they don’t meet Gordon’s demands, Ekeler’s stock would sky rocket.
If Gordon does indeed sit out or get traded, Ekeler is a must-have on any roster. His ADP is a low #113 right now. We already looked at his production from last year, but based off his averages, lets compare his numbers to Gordon’s total touches as the premier back from last year and project what we might see from Ekeler as a featured player:
1,214 Rushing yards, 707 receiving yards, and 12 total touchdowns
What I did to get this number was take the workload that the Chargers entrusted Gordon with and projected them onto to Ekeler’s per rush and per catch averages. The Chargers were only giving Gordon 14 rushes per game, which isn’t a number so big that Ekeler couldn’t handle.
It is plausible to believe that an increased workload could bog down Ekeler’s averages a bit. Don’t expect a dramatic drop off, however, as Ekeler faces the sixth easiest schedule for running backs this season.
He is a low risk/high reward player. If he doesn’t take over the backfield, he still adds value as a match-up flex and handcuff to Gordon. If Gordon misses time, he is a low-to-high RB1 that you can start or trade with and get great value.
Recommended Target Draft Range: Late 4th-Early 6th (unless Melvin Gordon’s contract situation is hashed out before your league’s draft)