The Commanders lose Austin Ekeler in what is shaping up to be a season ending injury in the form of a torn Achilles.
Austin Ekeler, a longtime friend to the fantasy football community is feared to have suffered a torn Achilles in the Commanders Monday Night Football loss to the Green Bay Packers. The injury comes at a time where the team is looking to make a leap to the Super Bowl.
While Ekeler was on the downside of his career, he was a serviceable factor in the receiving game for the Commanders backfield. After trading away Brian Robinson the split so far has been between Ekeler and rising rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt. The duo along with quarterback Jayden Daniels only managed 51 total rushing yards while all 3 had 17 rushing yards respectively against the Packers formidable defense in Week 2.
Expect speedster Chris Rodgriguez to be active Week 3 as he has been a healthy scratch the first 2 games of the season. Merritt (Bill), will likely get the bulk of carries and opportunity share moving forward. His 14.2 fantasy points got him the Pepsi Rookie of the Week award in Week 1. Rumors of a trade abound for a more talented and well known back, but that shouldn’t deter fantasy gamers from keeping Merritt on their redraft rosters to see how things play out in the Commanders backfield.
Author: Jeremiah Retzlaff (@coachretzlaff1)
Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler (shoulder)...
Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler was once ...
Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler is listed ...
The Washington Commanders have been fielding offers for running back Brian Robinson Jr.
Brian Robinson Jr. is being shopped by the Washington Commanders as the regular season approaches. The Commanders did add rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt in the seventh round of the NFL Draft in April.
Robinson Jr. led Washington running backs with 799 yards last season, while quarterback Jayden Daniels led the team with 891. Austin Ekeler is past his prime but still an effective option in the backfield after averaging 4.8 yards per carry in 2024, Croskey-Merritt had to sit out almost all last season due to a jersey number incident but rushed for 1,190 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2023.
Robinson Jr. becomes a mystery box now depending on where he lands, expect his ADP to fall due to uncertainty. Ekeler becomes more valuable and will likely see the most snaps early in the season. Croskey-Merritt had already become a fantasy darling and this will only reinforce the thought process that Washington wants him to be the lead back.
Author: David Leonard (@RealDelcoDave)
Rookie RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt is seeing reps with Jayden Daniels and the first team offense in the no-huddle session.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt is reportedly getting his opportunity with Jayden Daniels and the first team offense at Commanders training camp. The 7th-round pick enters a backfield that has some question marks behind Brian Robinson. If JCM can make the most of these valuable reps, he brings elements to his game that the Commanders’ depth chart doesn’t possess. Dan Quinn has spoken highly of the rookie earlier this offseason.
An explosive runner who has decent hands and vision can provide a change of pace for a Commanders team that needs another option to help Jayden Daniels, Terry McLaurin and Brian Robinson. The price fantasy managers currently pay for JCM in all formats could soon be paying dividends if the rookie carves out a role early on in camp.
Author: Dane Madoche(@FF_DaMaddog)
The Commanders met with electric Virginia Tech rookie running back Bhayshul Tuten.
The Washington Commanders are a desirable team in fantasy football. Any additions at skill positions will be met with an increase in draft stock from fantasy gamers. Recently, the Virginia Tech rookie running back had a private workout with Commanders running backs coach, Anthony Lynn.
Tuten has seen his stock rise significantly on Underdog and FastDraft as well as rookie mock drafts after his combine performance. He ran a 100th percentile 4.32 40-yard dash. His 118.3 speed scored (98th percentile) and 133.9 burst score (97th percentile) have generated mass interest across the NFL.
Should the Commanders add Bhayshul Tuten via the draft, he would be a hot commodity that would push towards round 1 status in rookie drafts due to the euphoria of being a lead back tied to quarterback Jayden Daniels. Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler may want to watch Netflix during the draft in order to avoid the added stress of new competition.
Author: Jeremiah Retzlaff (@coachretzlaff1)
Washington is rumored to be in the running back market for the 2025 Draft
With Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler each entering the final year of their respective contracts, running back might be firmly on Washington’s radar when the 2025 Draft lands in Green Bay, Wisc. The Commanders have just five picks in the draft. While they could attempt to trade down to accumulate more picks, they will likely keep one of the earlier selections for the talented running back class.
Currently holding pick Nos. 29, 61, 128, 205, and 245, the team has the luxury of being flexible to trade, while also drafting players ready to contribute immediately, not unlike 2024. This is especially true in the backfield, where they remained non-committal during free agency. Washington could save an additional $3.5 million to release Ekeler, although Robinson will likely remain with the team in a shared backfield. Trading back from No. 29 into the second round would still give them a healthy number of possibilities to pair with quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Robinson has collected over 2,900 total yards from scrimmage in his three years thus far with the Commanders, tallying 20 touchdowns while fumbling the ball eight times. He is currently listed as RB34 this offseason, with that value likely to take a significant hit with the team possibly adding a rookie.
For his part, Ekeler chipped in 733 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns in 12 games in 2024. The financial savings would be enticing, and he would not likely be homeless for long; teams like the Los Angeles Chargers (coach Jim Harbaugh is a fan) could do worse when adding a veteran presence on the field and in the locker room.
Author: Sam Schneider (@BuyAndSellYou)
Austin Ekeler is signing a 2-year deal, worth up to $11 million with the Washington Commanders.
After contract extension talks fell through with the LA Chargers in 2023, Austin Ekeler has found a new opportunity with the Washington Commanders. He is coming off a down year in 2023 with 1,064 total yards and 6 TDs after his league-winning 2022 season. Washington will look to Ekeler to jump start a middling running game that has struggled in recent years.
Ekeler reunites with Anthony Lynn, the Commanders’ running game coordinator and his previous head coach with the LA Chargers. During Lynn’s tenure in LA from 2017 to 2020, Ekeler ascended from an undrafted free agent to a versatile backfield weapon.
Ekeler has been a true dual threat running back, being a prolific scorer on the ground and through the air. However, his production declined in 2023 when he averaged a career low 3.5 yards per carry. His catch rate also plummeted as he struggled to stay healthy. He will look to get back to form with the Commanders while splitting carries with the bruising Brian Robinson. After RB moves across the NFC East, your move, Dallas.
