Austin Ekeler Fantasy Stats

Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler lacks rushing upside, but he could carve out enough receiving volume to get onto the fringe of the fantasy radar in PPR leagues for Week 8. The Commanders have placed Jacory Croskey-Merritt (groin) on injured reserve, bumping Ekeler up to the No. 2 running back role behind Rachaad White for Sunday's contest against the Philadelphia Eagles. Although White has a pass-catching background, similar to Ekeler, the Commanders may choose to restructure his role while he temporarily fills in for Croskey-Merritt. If White gets more early-down rushing work, then this will open the door for Ekeler to rotate in on passing downs, giving him some intrigue in PPR leagues. His ceiling is capped, but we do think he has a decent chance to eclipse his previous season-high snap share of 27%. We'd rather find a safer option for the RB3/flex spot this week, but he at least warrants a little bit of consideration in PPR leagues with 14+ teams.

Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler should have a larger role on offense following the team's Week 7 bye. Ekeler has yet to play more than 27% of the snaps in any of these three games with the Commanders so far this year, but that could change in Week 8 as he steps into a larger role with Jacory Croskey-Merritt (groin) officially landing on injured reserve. The 31-year-old is particularly worth monitoring in PPR leagues, given his long track record of catching passes out of the backfield at the NFL level. While Washington already had Rachaad White in a similar role, we wouldn't be surprised to see the Commanders give White more of Croskey-Merritt's vacated carries, and then, in an effort to keep White's workload in check, give more receiving volume to Ekeler. Whether it's enough to get him on the flex/RB3 radar remains to be seen, but at the very least, the veteran pass-catching back is on the streaming radar for the duration of Croskey-Merritt's absence.

The Washington Commanders will be on their bye in Week 7, so the next time veteran running back Austin Ekeler will take the field will be in Week 8 against the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles. The 31-year-old running back does not have much fantasy upside now that he is on the wrong side of 30, but he is on the waiver-wire radar in deep fantasy football leagues this week after the Commanders placed Jacory Croskey-Merritt (groin) on Injured Reserve. With Croskey-Merritt out in the Monday night loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Ekeler played only 10% of the offensive snaps for the second straight week and had just one carry for three yards. He added two catches on two targets for four yards. In three games played so far in 2026, Ekeler has only eight rushing attempts for 31 yards (3.9 yards per carry) and four receptions for 30 yards through the air. There could be some more opportunities for Ekeler as long as JCM is out, but Jeremy McNichols just returned from an IR stint and will also battle for touches behind Rachaad White. Ekeler suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Week 3 of last year and is no longer the slippery and elusive RB in space that he once was.

Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler will step into the No. 2 role on the depth chart for Monday's Week 6 contest against the San Francisco 49ers. As a result, he could have some streamer appeal in 12+ team leagues, especially those with PPR scoring. Although Rachaad White will likely handle most of the rushing volume with Jacory Croskey-Merritt (groin) sidelined, the receiving work could be split more evenly between White and Ekeler. After all, Ekeler, 31, has made a name for himself throughout his career as a pass-catching specialist out of the backfield. Ekeler has just nine touches for 54 yards through two games this season, but a larger role in Week 6 will give him low-end RB3/flex appeal in deeper PPR leagues.

Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler saw his role decrease in Week 5 after playing an immediate role in Week 4, with his snap share dropping from 26.2% to 10%. Now the 31-year-old has been limited and wore a non-contact jersey in practice all week with a chest injury. There was an expectation heading into Week 5 that Ekeler could see more work with the struggles of Jacory Croskey-Merritt (groin), who has now been ruled out for Monday night against the 49ers. Ekeler and Rachaad White should be expected to handle most of the touches in Week 6, assuming both are available. There is plenty of uncertainty surrounding Washington's backfield at the moment, and with a Monday night game, it could be one to avoid. Ekeler ranks as RotoBaller's RB48 in PPR leagues for Week 6.

Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler (chest) remained a limited participant during Friday's practice session, per John Keim of ESPN. The veteran back has been limited in back-to-back days ahead of Monday's game against the San Francisco 49ers. Lead back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (groin) hasn't practiced yet this week, and Rachaad White (shoulder) was downgraded to limited on Friday. Ekeler could see a larger role than normal if one or both backs are unable to play this week. Fantasy managers should check back for another update on his status.

Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler has struggled to carve out a meaningful role since returning from the torn Achilles he suffered in 2025, making him a low-priority waiver option heading into Week 6. The 31-year-old veteran rejoined Washington on September 29 and recorded 40 scrimmage yards on five touches against Indianapolis in his first game back. However, his involvement dropped sharply in Sunday's 27-27 tie with the New York Giants, as he managed minus-one rushing yard on three carries and caught his only target for 15 yards. Ekeler played just six offensive snaps (10%), down from 27% in Week 4, with Rachaad White returning from a shoulder injury. White handled 60% of the snaps, while Jacory Croskey-Merritt played 35%, leaving Ekeler firmly behind both backs in the rotation. His receiving experience could eventually earn him more playing time, but two receptions across his first two appearances offer little encouragement for fantasy managers. Washington faces San Francisco in Week 6 before entering its bye, further limiting his short-term appeal. Ekeler is worth monitoring in deeper PPR leagues, though his current workload doesn't justify a roster spot in most standard-sized formats.

Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler just joined the Commanders last week, but he stepped right into a significant role in Week 4. He played 27% of snaps against the Colts in London, which was the second-most of the running backs available. The 31-year-old veteran had four carries for 29 yards and tacked on an 11-yard catch on his two targets. He was a passing-down back last year in Washington before sustaining a torn Achilles, and he's rejoined the team in a similar role. Ekeler may have gotten extra playing time with Rachaad White (shoulder) out, and when White returns, it will be an interesting three-back rotation with Jacory Croskey-Merritt likely getting most of the early-down work and White and Ekeler rotating in. Ekeler is worth a look in deep leagues since he will have a role, but he'll be a high-risk play on a week-to-week basis if all three running backs are healthy.

Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler recently signed a one-year deal with the organization. He's back with Washington after only playing two games last season due to a torn Achilles tendon. The expectation was that Ekeler would play a depth role, but he might have a bigger impact than expected right away. Fellow back Rachaad White (shoulder) has been ruled out for the Week 4 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. Jacory Croskey-Merritt will be the lead back with Kaytron Allen and Ekeler getting snaps behind him. Ekeler might be on the field more than expected during his first game back with the team.

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, free-agent running back Austin Ekeler is set to reunite with his former team, the Washington Commanders, pending a physical. Ekeler recently tried out for the Carolina Panthers following Jonathon Brooks' move to the injured list, but he will instead return to a familiar club. Ekeler spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons in D.C. before suffering a torn Achilles in 2025, which ultimately cut his season short. During the 2024 season, the veteran back served as the primary pass-catcher, catching 35 of 41 targets for 366 yards and adding another 367 yards with four scores on the ground. However, managers should not expect him to take on a similar role with D.C. in his second stint, as the team has relied on Jacory Croskey-Merritt on early downs and Rachaad White on passing downs. While White did exit Sunday's game with a shoulder injury, he eventually returned, suggesting it was not overly serious. For now, Ekeler is best left on the waiver wire and should only be viewed as a deep-league stash option in the event White faces a setback.