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The Spotlight Series
A Footballguys Spotlight is an in-depth look at a player. His plusses and minuses are examined, and we give you our bottom-line stance on his 2022 prospects. If a player listed below doesn't yet have a link, don't worry. It's coming soon.
Quarterbacks
Josh Allen
Kirk Cousins
Justin Fields
Lamar Jackson
Trevor Lawrence
Dak Prescott
Aaron Rodgers
Tua Tagovailoa
Russell Wilson
Tight Ends
"I'm gonna get the ball, I'm gonna make things happen. If you're gonna throw me the ball, I'm gonna make things happen. If you want to get fantasy points, you better have me on your team. That's all I gotta say. If I'm healthy, I'm gonna score you points." - Austin Ekeler, July 30, 2021.
Austin Ekeler is a man of his word. He capitalized on the best opportunity of his career, returning an overall PPR RB2 season at just shy of 22 points per game. Ekeler posted a unique stat line in 2021, joining Marshall Faulk and Chuck Foreman to become the third player in NFL history to accumulate over 900 rushing yards, at least 12 rushing touchdowns, over 600 receiving yards, and at least eight receiving touchdowns. It was the second time in Ekeler's career he hit eight receiving touchdowns.
Despite being one of the most fun players in fantasy football and production that could have seen him finish as the overall RB1 if not for a five-touchdown explosion against Buffalo by Jonathan Taylor, Ekeler has seen placement in early drafts as a consolation prize. His underdog ADP is 6.5 overall, with a real gap between him and the top five: Taylor, Cooper Kupp, Christian McCaffrey, Justin Jefferson, and Ja'Marr Chase. The early narrative puts him as a ceiling pick in that range—questions about the draft pick used on Isaiah Spiller and a potential touchdown regression swirl.
Chargers Rushers' Total Stats
| Player | Age | GP | GS | Touch | Yds/Tch | Yards | TDs | Fum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Ekeler | 26 | 16 | 16 | 276 | 5.6 | 1558 | 20 | 4 |
| Justin Jackson | 25 | 14 | 2 | 90 | 6 | 542 | 2 | 1 |
| Justin Herbert | 23 | 17 | 17 | 63 | 4.8 | 302 | 3 | 1 |
| Larry Rountree | 22 | 12 | 0 | 37 | 2.3 | 86 | 1 | 0 |
| Joshua Kelly | 24 | 10 | 0 | 38 | 3.7 | 140 | 0 | 1 |
| Team Totals | 26 | 17 | n/a | 866 | 7.9 | 6848 | 56 | 10 |
Chargers Rushers' Rushing Stats
| Player | Rushes | Yards | TDs | Long | Yds/Att | Yds/Gm | Att/Gm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Ekeler | 206 | 911 | 12 | 28 | 4.4 | 56.9 | 13.0 |
| Justin Jackson | 68 | 364 | 2 | 75 | 5.4 | 26 | 4.9 |
| Justin Herbert | 63 | 302 | 3 | 36 | 4.8 | 17.8 | 3.7 |
| Larry Rountree | 36 | 87 | 1 | 13 | 2.4 | 7.3 | 3.0 |
| Joshua Kelly | 33 | 102 | 0 | 14 | 3.1 | 10.2 | 3.3 |
| Team Totals | 423 | 1834 | 18 | 75 | 4.3 | 108.0 | 25.0 |
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