Chargers RB Austin Ekeler could help you win your 2021 fantasy football league

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler is an elite fantasy football asset.

The Chargers offseason brought with it a coaching staff, which could bring a positive impact to those who are playing fantasy football this year.

Among the players who should have owners licking their chops is running back Austin Ekeler.

Ekeler enters his fifth season with new offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi calling the shots. One thing about Lombardi is that he has historically gotten his running backs involved more than most coaches in the league.

During his time with the Saints, Lombardi utilized backs like Reggie Bush and Darren Sproles, but the most notable was Alvin Kamara, who recorded at least 1,500 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns three times in his first four seasons.

It just so happens that Ekeler has a very similar skill-set to Kamara, considering the two are ultra-refined runners and lethal pass-catchers.

In each of his seasons, Ekeler has put up big numbers. He amassed 933 yards from scrimmage while missing six games during the 2020 season, but had 1,550 during an injury-free 2019 campaign.

Ekeler shouldn’t have to worry about that many touches being taken because Justin Jackson, Joshua Kelley or Larry Rountree III have yet to establish themselves as candidates to receive bigger roles.

In addition, Ekeler will be playing behind the best offensive line he’s had since coming into the league.

Heading into the new season, should he stay healthy, Ekeler could be looking at his best campaign to date.

If I’m drafting, the Ekeler is going to be selected with my late first-round, early second-round selection in both standard and points per receptions (PPR) formats, and I am confident that he can finish as a top-5 running back by season’s end.

Draft Ekeler and reap the reward.

Projection: 815 Rush Yds | 4 Rush Tds | 81 Rec | 801 Rec Yds | 7 Rec Tds

Fantasy Football: Chargers TE Donald Parham presents value as deep sleeper

Chargers tight end Donald Parham could be in for decent production in his sophomore season.

During his stint in the XFL before it was cut short due to the pandemic, Donald Parham was electric, leading led all tight ends in receiving with 24 receptions for 307 yards and four touchdowns.

Parham was a No. 1 fantasy TE in the XFL and enters a new year which could see him provide value to NFL fantasy football owners.

Signed by the Chargers last year, Parham took advantage of his limited opportunities behind Hunter Henry and Virgil Green, recording 10 catches for 159 yards (15.9 yards per reception) and three touchdowns on 20 targets in 2020.

At 6-foot-8, Parham showed he could be a promising target for quarterback Justin Herbert with his ability to outpace defenders down the field and the insane arm length and reliable hands to pluck the ball in the air.

Heading into the 2021 season, even after the additions of Jared Cook and rookie Tre’ McKitty, Parham’s upside is endless due to his elite physical and athletic traits coupled with offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi’s system.

During the final season that Lombardi called plays for the Lions, QB Matthew Stafford targeted the tight end on nearly 25% of his passes. In addition, Saints’ Drew Brees relied heavily on his tight ends.

Expected to draw parallels to the Saints offense, the team has produced five top 10 fantasy tight ends. Three of those came from Jimmy Graham in 2011, 2013, and 2014. Ben Watson in 2015 and Cook in 2019.

With Lombardi’s offense heavily predicated on matchups in which he will be show a wide variety of personnel packages, Parham could be the mismatch to threaten seams and in the red zone.

Lombardi said he liked what he saw from Parham on film last season, and that he’s excited to unlock his potential. Could he be in for a big year? Only time will tell, but stashing Parham in your respective leagues could pay dividends.

Fantasy Football: Initial projection for Chargers WR Josh Palmer in 2021

ESPN’s Mike Clay gives an early outlook for Chargers wide receiver Josh Palmer.

The Chargers brought in another weapon for quarterback Justin Herbert with the selection of former Tennessee wide receiver Josh Palmer in the third-round of the 2021 NFL draft.

Palmer will be joining a crowded wideout group that features Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, but he still presents excellent value in his rookie season, enough that he’s worth taking in your fantasy football leagues.

ESPN’s Mike Clay reacted to the first three rounds from a fantasy football perspective, where he made some initial projections and analysis for all skill players that were taken.

For Palmer, Clay’s initial projection sees him receive 37 targets for 23 receptions, 274 yards, two touchdowns in 2021.

He’s not a threat to Keenan Allen or Mike Williams in the short term, but could overtake Jalen Guyton and Tyron Johnson for No. 3 duties very quickly. That would make him a fantasy sleeper considering how good Justin Herbert looked as a rookie. Palmer will be a fine later flier in deeper leagues.

When you look at Palmer’s stat sheet from college, it’s easy to be swayed away from him as a potential target, as he failed to surpass 34 targets and 500 yards.

The reality is that the numbers don’t do the justice to reflect the type of player he is and can be at the next level.

Palmer never produced eye-popping production at Tennessee due to the fact that he played alongside two current NFL wide receivers for two seasons and the team’s ongoing quarterback problems.

Palmer, the 6-foot-1 and 210 pounder, ran mostly vertical routes in the Vol’s offense and rarely got targeted because of it. On top of that, 31% of his targets were uncatchable.

However, when he was targeted with a catchable ball, he shined against some elite college corners, including Jaycee Horn, Patrick Surtain II, Tyson Campbell, Eric Stokes and Kelvin Joseph.

Palmer was 14-of-14 in catching the “catchable balls” in those matchups, 11 of which went for first downs, four touchdowns, and 16 yards per reception, according to Pro Football Focus.

At the Senior Bowl, defensive backs had no answer for Palmer, defeating them with violent route-running and the speed to create separation. His 81% win rate was the highest of any outside receiver.

Now on a team with a competent quarterback in Herbert, Palmer should definitely be more productive in the NFL than he was in college.

In Year 1, he will be in the mix for snaps with Jalen Guyton and Tyron Johnson. But given the fact that offensive coordinator Joe Lombard goes through a lot of different personnel packages, Palmer will have his opportunities.

With his ability to separate at all levels of the field, especially vertically, Palmer could quickly become one of Herbert’s go-to targets this upcoming season and beyond.

The bottom line is take Palmer in the later rounds of your upcoming drafts and you could have yourself a diamond in the rough.

Daily Fantasy: The one Chargers player you need to start in Week 3 on DraftKings

Chargers running back Joshua Kelley could be a daily fantasy sports sleeper in Week 1.

The dive doesn’t have to go very deep in terms of finding a fantasy football piece to start from the Bolts in Week 3.

Up next for the Los Angeles Chargers is the Carolina Panthers. While the 2020 season is young, the Panthers have had an issue going back to last season which you need to exploit: a very poor run defense.

In 2019, the Panthers had the fourth-worst run defense in the NFL, allowing 143.5 yards per game. Fast forward, and the Panthers, through two games, are still right there, currently giving up 127.5 yards per game on the ground. Considering the Chargers, we now need to either look at Austin Ekeler or Joshua Kelley. Who is the better fantasy football option this weekend? The easy pick is Kelley.

Just in general, the Panthers can’t stop the run, but they really haven’t put up much of a fight along the goal line. Through two games, the team allowing the most points to fantasy football running backs by a longshot is the Panthers. That’s in part to a league-high six rushing touchdowns surrendered already in 2020.

Ekeler is currently average 5.1 yards per carry compared to the rookie’s 3.5, however, Kelley has the eighth-most red zone rushing attempts this season in the entire NFL.

Plus, money can talk. This week on DraftKings, Kelley’s salary is below the per-position average of $5,555 at $5,000. Ekeler sits at $6,800, well above it. Not only does Kelley make more sense on the field, he does on DraftKings, too.

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Daily Fantasy: The one Chargers player you need to start in Week 2 on DraftKings

Chargers wide receiver could be a daily fantasy sports sleeper in Week 1.

After watching their first game played in their new home, SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, via the Rams, the Los Angeles Chargers take their turn at the brand new venue in Week 2 as the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs visit for a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff on Sunday.

Both teams enter this one at 1-0, but it felt like the Bolts escaped Cincinnati with a season-opening victory in a 16-13 contest thanks to a Bengals missed kick to end regulation.

Not to say that the Chargers defense is bad after one game, but after watching Cincy have some successes against them, the Chiefs will cause, at least, some damage in this week. Because of that, the Chargers’ wide receivers will be a smart play in Week 2

Quarterback Tyrod Taylor attempted 30 passes against the Bengals, but 25 of those went to either Keenan Allen, Hunter Henry or Mike Williams. The best bang for your buck in DraftKings this week is the latter. Of that trio, not only is Williams the most cost-efficient receiver for Los Angeles at a salary cost of $4,200 in this one (roster limit: $50,000), he also led those three with nine targets against the Bengals.

Included in his targets were a few deep balls he missed out on vs. the Bengals as well. Williams was just one of these away from having a big fantasy football output a week ago. Against the the Chiefs offense, Williams has a feeling of a big game waiting to happen this week.

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Daily Fantasy: The one Chargers player you need to start in Week 1 on DraftKings

Chargers quarterback Tyrod Taylor could be a daily fantasy sports sleeper in Week 1.

The Los Angeles Chargers are starting a new era in 2020, doing so against another team turning the page as well. The Bolts open their season in Cincinnati against the Bengals on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. on CBS.

Don’t let these new faces on the field steer you away, either. There are profitable fantasy options in this one for the Chargers, namely under center.

Starting the post-Phillip Rivers era for the Bolts is Tyrod Taylor. While finding himself in and out of the starter role during his career, Taylor has a chance to produce a cost-efficient season opener for your daily fantasy team with a salary of only $5,600.

The focal point of the Bengals’ offseason centered around quarterback Joe Burrow. Fixing an entire roster isn’t going to happen overnight. Plus, Burrow and other additions made by Cincy won’t do much to help a defense that allowed the fourth-most yards last year, 393.7 per game.

The knee-jerk reaction here might be to use the Chargers’ backfield to attack the NFL’s worst run defense in 2019 with running back Austin Ekeler. However, Ekeler has a DraftKings salary of $7,000 (roster limit: $50,000). Savings can be found in Taylor ($5,600).

Not only does Taylor have strong short-options in Ekeler through the air, don’t forget about receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. In Taylor’s spell as a starter with the Bills, he mixed in his very-profitable mobility with a good deep ball. In 2016, he had a 101.5 passer rating on 129 deep passes. Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn, who spent 2016 with the Bills offense and Taylor, won’t forget that.

Not to mention, the Bengals did allow the ninth-most fantasy points to QBs a year ago.

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How Chargers players fare in early 2020 fantasy football rankings

Two players of the Los Angeles Chargers are in the top-10 in early 2020 fantasy football draft rankings.

The Chargers head into the 2020 season with a new signal-caller. After Philip Rivers and the franchise mutually agreed to part ways earlier this offseason, Tyrod Taylor and Justin Herbert take over under center.

The running back position will have a slightly new look moving forward, too after Melvin Gordon agreed to a deal with the Broncos. Joining Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson is fourth-round pick Joshua Kelley.

Aside from those changes and couple of new additions along the offensive line, the rest of the offense stayed intact with the strong pass-catching group that consists of Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Hunter Henry and draft selections Joe Reed and K.J. Hill.

As far as fantasy football goes, which everyone is looking forward to, Los Angeles will have quite a few options in drafts this year. ESPN’s fantasy football experts put together early PPR (points per reception) ranking of players at each position.

Here’s how the Chargers players stack up:

Quarterback

Tyrod Taylor, No. 26

Justin Herbert N/A

Running back

Austin Ekeler, No. 7

Joshua Kelley, No. 54

Justin Jackson, No. 55

Wide receiver

Keenan Allen, No. 15

Mike Williams, No. 46

K.J. Hill N/A

Joe Reed N/A

Tight end

Hunter Henry, No. 8

Kicker

Michael Badgley, No. 20

Defense/Special Teams

Chargers, No. 11