Joshua Kelley Injury Updates | Shark Bites

Chargers RB Joshua Kelley recorded 13 attempts for 39 rushing yards in Week 2 vs. the Titans. Fantasy managers hoping to stream the young back as a replacement for Austin Ekeler (ankle) are likely disappointed by the results of Sunday’s OT loss. Kelley’s heavy involvement in Week 1 still makes him worthy of rostering in deeper leagues, but those in 10 or 12-team leagues can justify throwing him back into the waiver pool. Keep track of the injury reports this week to see if Ekeler will return for next Sunday’s contest vs. the Vikings.

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler (ankle) missed practice again on Thursday. He's no longer on the injury report with "personal," so we know it's the ankle keeping him out. Ekeler is looking legitimately iffy for Sunday's game vs. the Titans. We'll see if he practices on Friday and how he's listed on the final injury report.

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler did not practice on Wednesday. He's listed on the injury report with the ankle and "NIR - Personal." Ekeler was away from the team to attend the funeral of his agent, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, so we don't know if that ankle would have allowed him to practice. We'll get another update on Ekeler's status tomorrow, but it's certainly possible that he misses Sunday's game vs. the Titans. That'd leave Joshua Kelley as the Chargers' lead back.

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler came away from Sunday's loss to the Dolphins with an ankle injury, NFL Network's Bridget Condon reports. HC Brandon Staley said Monday the RB's status is uncertain for Wednesday's practice. We'll obviously be tracking the situation closely throughout the week. RB Joshua Kelley ran even with Ekeler in carries against Miami. He'd likely land inside our top 24 if Ekeler can't go, though the Tennessee matchup was negative for rushers all last season and in Week 1 of this year. (Saints RB Jamaal Williams gained just 45 yards on 18 carries.) The team would also likely activate RB Isaiah Spiller, a healthy scratch in the opener.

The Chargers “remain high” on RB Isaiah Spiller, per The Athletic’s Daniel Popper. It’s not shocking since Spiller arrived in Round 4 just one year ago. He battled an August ankle injury and never locked down the RB2 job behind Austin Ekeler. Across six games, Spiller posted only 41 yards on 18 carries. We’ll see if the Chargers add a veteran RB over the coming weeks. Even if they pass, Spiller must beat out Josh Kelley for the backup job.

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler managed just 70 total yards in Sunday's win over the Titans, his 3rd-lowest number of the season. Ekeler ran with solid efficiency -- 4.8 yards per rush (12 carries, 58 yards) -- especially considering that he was facing the league's #1 run defense Football Outsiders' DVOA. Ekeler added just 12 yards on 2 catches, though, uncharacteristically low for him. He did leave the game briefly for an injury check but wound up playing 69% of the snaps (according to Pro Football Focus), right in line with his usual playing time. Ekeler and RB Joshua Kelley each scored rushing TDs, as Kelley ran 10 times for 24 yards. Week 16 holds a Monday night trip to Indy, which allowed Vikings RB Dalvin Cook 190 total yards on Saturday night.

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler racked up 15 targets and 11 catches in Sunday's late win over the Cardinals, snagging a 1-yard TD with 15 seconds left that set up the game-winning 2-point conversion. Ekeler needed that receiving production to make up for a mere 5-20 rushing line. Joshua Kelley and Isaiah Spiller carried 2 times apiece and combined for 4 targets. It was Kelley's 1st game since a Week 6 knee injury landed him on IR. Kelley played 6 more snaps than Spiller but also less than one-third of Ekeler's total. Next comes a generous Raiders D.

Chargers RB Joshua Kelley injured his knee in the 1st half of Monday night's game vs. the Broncos and didn't return. That left Sony Michel as Los Angeles' #2 RB. We'll see about the severity of Kelley's injury. If he's going to miss multiple weeks, Michel will be worth stashing as the Austin Ekeler handcuff.

Chargers HC Brandon Staley labeled RB Isaiah Spiller "week to week" with the ankle injury he suffered in Saturday's preseason game. Spiller's availability for Week 1 is uncertain, Staley added. That kills any chance the rookie had of winning the #2 RB job to open the season. RB Joshua Kelley is the favorite for that spot, although he's still an underwhelming fantasy pick.

Chargers RB Isaiah Spiller left Saturday night's preseason game against the Cowboys with an ankle injury and was deemed questionable to return. That designation might indicate it's not serious, but we'll watch for a specific diagnosis. Spiller has been fighting Joshua Kelly and Larry Rountree for the #2 job behind Austin Ekeler.

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler (hip) is listed as questionable for this weekend’s game against the Patriots. He was added to the injury report on Thursday and didn’t practice on Thursday or Friday. Not a good look. We’ll continue to look for updates on Ekeler’s status. If he misses Sunday’s game, the Chargers would likely deploy a 3-back committee with Joshua Kelley, Justin Jackson and Larry Rountree.

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler was added to Thursday's injury report with a hip and did not practice. His availability for this weekend's game against the Patriots is suddenly in question. We'll look for further updates on Ekeler's status and see if he gets back on the practice field tomorrow. If he misses Sunday's game, the Chargers would likely deploy a committee backfield with Justin Jackson, Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree.

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler missed Wednesday's practice with a hamstring injury. It's the 1st we've heard of it. Ekeler was at least able to work off to the side with trainers -- but his status for Sunday's opener vs. Washington is now up in the air. Check back tomorrow for another update. It's unclear how L.A. would divvy backfield work between Justin Jackson, Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree if Ekeler is out.