Will Austin Ekeler or Justin Jackson step up if Melvin Gordon holds out in 2019?

The Los Angeles Chargers are currently trying to find a solution to their running back situation now that starter Melvin Gordon is sitting out from team activities. We explore the options between Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson.

If the Chargers are unable to come to terms with Gordon soon, he may miss some significant time during the regular season. With that in mind, which back will step it up for the Chargers during Gordon’s absence? Will it be Austin Ekeler or Justin Jackson?

For the last four seasons, Melvin Gordon has been Los Angeles’ premier running back averaging about 4.0 yards per carry and another 8.7 yards per catch throughout his career. When healthy, Gordon is a top-10 running back in the NFL and a fringe first-round pick in just about every fantasy draft.

Unfortunately, Gordon is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is seeking a hefty new deal from the team that drafted him 15th overall in the 2015 draft out of Wisconsin.

The two sides appear to be at a standstill up to this point putting Gordon’s availability for Week 1 in major doubt. The chances that Gordon misses some significant time this season has been growing with each passing day.

As the holdout continues with no apparent end in sight, it seems the Chargers will have to turn to Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson to pick up the slack. Both backs are very talented in their own respective right, but determining which one will be more productive from a fantasy standpoint can be a little more tricky than you think.

Let’s examine each back separately and discuss their pros and cons. Hopefully, by doing this, it will make it slightly easier to figure out which back to select if Melvin Gordon chooses to sit out for an extended period of time in the 2019 regular season.

First, let’s take a look at Austin Ekeler. The shifty, elusive back out of Western State is entering his third year in the NFL and currently checks in at five foot ten and 200lbs.

In 2018, Ekeler had the eighth-best production premium rate (+25.9) which means he was able to produce on offense in standard situations. It excludes non-standard scenarios such as two-minute drills and garbage time. Furthermore, he ranked first in percentage of carries that were 15 yards or more last year which is a really good sign for some explosive plays this year.

Ekeler is also quite acquainted with Los Angeles’ run play-book since he started in 30 of 32 possible games. As we all know experience is vital in the NFL, especially when one is being thrown into a starting role at the last minute.

Next, let’s examine Ekeler’s overall production in 2018, specifically when Gordon missed some time last season. In Week 7 and between Week’s 13-14, Ekeler rushed 40 times for only 129 yards (3.2 yds/carry) and one score. Also, Ekeler’s air-game was comprised of catching 12 passes for 76 yards (6.3 yds/catch) and no touchdowns.

From a fantasy perspective, he averaged 12.8 fantasy points per game in a full PPR format during those three games he played in where Gordon was absent. Unfortunately, he could’ve had even better numbers if he did not miss Week 15 with a neck/concussion injury of his own.

Gordon was also out that week opening the floor for the other running back I’m about to mention which is Justin Jackson.

Jackson is the second running back in the Charger’s backfield who can be a league-winner if all goes well.

Jackson got his real first opportunity between Week’s 13-15 of the 2018 season. During that span, he racked up 31 carries while averaging about 4.3 yards per rush along with a pair of scores. On top of that, he averaged 11.5 receiving yards per catch in those three games as well.

After all, is said and done Jackson’s average fantasy points per game during that three-game stretch was almost identical to Ekeler’s with 12.7.

It’s hard to decipher which back will take control of Los Angeles’ backfield if Melvin Gordon’s holdout becomes a longterm issue. After doing a quick analysis of what Jackson and Ekeler have done so far in the preseason this year, it still is difficult to determine.

So far Ekeler appears to be more of the pass-catching back as he has caught four passes while averaging 8.8 yards per catch. Conversely, Jackson only has caught one pass in the preseason for nine yards.

On the other hand, the Chargers look to be leaning on Jackson slightly more on the ground as they have given him 13 attempts (4.2 yds/carry), while Austin Ekeler has received eight attempts (6.1 yds/carry).

Although Jackson does have a lot of talent and has seen more touches than Austin Ekeler in the preseason, I think I’ll have to give the slight edge to the third-year back since his numbers are a little better.

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Austin Ekeler’s experience and dual-threat usage make him an effective runner which is grounds for the Chargers to rely on him a bit more in their run game if Gordon doesn’t play this year.

That doesn’t mean Jackson will not get his opportunities. The competition is still pretty wide open and Jackson has looked impressive in the preseason right now.

Both backs look like they can be serviceable and from a football standpoint that is the perfect situation for the Chargers. They aren’t just a one-dimensional backfield where defenses can easily key on one runner and shut him down the entire game.

In the end, both players are good in their own right and can be useful for fantasy managers this year. Ekeler should be drafted earlier than Jackson (sixth/seventh round vs. eleventh/twelfth round) due to his experience and versatility, but Jackson isn’t a bad option in the later rounds either.

Austin Ekeler and Jackson can both be solid flex options in fantasy this year, with Ekeler being slightly more of a safer pick.

When Draft Day comes in your league, keep these two players in mind. You never know if one of these guys can be the X-factor in your fantasy team winning a championship in 2019.