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Austin Ekeler has arguably been the single most disrespected fantasy football player in recent NFL history. Despite consistently posting numbers that put him in the RB1 conversation just about every year, he tends to get overlooked at the top of fantasy drafts.
It appears the superstar running back is entering a similar situation ahead of the 2023 NFL season. Just like last year, he's being faded by many in the first few picks of fantasy drafts, despite likely being the fantasy MVP last year.
Austin Ekeler's 2023 fantasy outlook
Ekeler has scored a massive 38 touchdowns across the past two seasons combined, more than any other player in the NFL. This also makes him the highest-scoring running back in fantasy football during that time.
He was faded by many last year with the top pick in fantasy drafts, mostly due to a fear of touchdown regression. He made the doubters pay in a big way, scoring 18 of them and finishing as the RB1 in some formats.
The Los Angeles Chargers' disrespected superstar has also proven he can produce massive numbers even without a large touchdown total.
He led all running backs in the 2022 NFL season with 107 receptions and 127 targets, paired with his 204 carries for 915 rushing yards.
Is Austin Ekeler a good pick in fantasy football this year?
Austin Ekeler remains the focal point of one of the most high-powered offenses in the NFL. As long as Justin Herbert is leading the way for the Los Angeles Chargers for the 2023 NFL season, which he surely will be without an injury, there's no reason to believe that Ekeler won't continue his fantasy football dominance.
With the elite group of offensive weapons surrounding Herbert, the Chargers are projected to score massive points again this season. This is an excellent scenario for Ekeler's fantasy football value, especially considering his status as a red zone target. He has scored touchdowns at a higher rate than any other NFL player over the past two years.
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Increasing Ekeler's outlook is the fact that none of the Chargers' other running backs are legitimately expected to challenge him for a relevant share of the workload. He should theoretically dominate the backfield touches once again, while also serving as one of their top wide receivers.
Austin Ekeler led his team in both targets and receptions last year. He holds incredible value in all fantasy formats, while he gets an even bigger boost in PPR leagues.
Where should you draft Austin Ekeler this year?
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Austin Ekeler is currently ranked as the RB2 and fourth overall player in the 2023 fantasy football drafts, according to his recent ADP. While these are extremely high rankings for just about any player, a legitimate case can be made that he's once again being undervalued in fantasy drafts.
Managers are hardly selecting Ekeler with the top overall pick in 2023 fantasy drafts. Christian McCaffrey is the only running back ranked higher than Ekeler based on the current ADP. While both players have massive upside, McCaffrey's injury history makes it fair to label him the riskier option.
Ekeler also ranks behind two wide receivers, Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase. While both are elite by just about every possible measure, there is still incredible value in selecting a running back at the top of the draft.
The wide receiver position is much deeper with many more legitimate options later on, while true workhorse running backs are few and far between. Many reasons suggest that Ekeler could again outperform his current ADP, despite it being as high as it already is. Being the highest-scoring fantasy player in 2023 is entirely possible.
