Austin Ekeler returns to game in Week 15 vs. Titans

Update: Ekeler has returned to the game.

The Los Angeles Chargers are taking on the Tennessee Titans in Week 15. The Chargers' offense has been dealing with injuries to its wide receivers all season. In the first quarter, it was running back Austin Ekeler that got banged up. He came off the field holding his right arm and went into the medical tent for further testing.

Before he left the game, Ekeler had three carries for 19 yards. He has upside in fantasy football because of his upside in the rushing and receiving aspects of the offense. With Ekeler sidelined, his main backup will be Joshua Kelley. He has six carries for 14 yards so far and was able to score a goalline touchdown as Ekeler was getting further evaluated for his apparent injury.

Kelley has played in only nine games this season. He had 36 rushing attempts for 167 yards and a touchdown before this game. This offense sees a lot of work for Ekeler, so while Kelley is the backup running back, he mainly only sees game action to give Ekeler a breather. He also has 10 receptions on 16 targets for 78 additional yards. Kelley is under contract for another season, so if he gets any extended work in the offense if Ekeler misses time, it could o a long way to lock in his roster spot for the future.

The Kansas City Chiefs locked down the division with their win earlier on Sunday. This means the only way for Los Angeles to get into the playoffs this year will be a Wild Card spot. If they lose Ekeler for any amount of time, that would certainly hurt their chances of a postseason push.