Austin Ekeler is the Washington Commanders running back and finished the 2025 regular season as a low-end fantasy option at his position. He averaged 9.0 fantasy points per game across 14 appearances, which ranks him 0th among running backs in our 2026 draft board. That per-game number is the starting point for every start or sit decision you make with him in 2026.
Austin Ekeler finished 2025 with 425 rushing yards and 3 ground scores. He is a true three-down back, catching 45 balls for 360 receiving yards, which is the reason his PPR floor holds up in negative game script.
Austin Ekeler's three-down role is the reason to trust him weekly. Backs who catch passes hold up in negative game script, so even in weeks where his team is trailing and the ground attack gets abandoned, his PPR production does not collapse. That is the single biggest separator in modern fantasy football running back evaluation.
Heading into 2026, Austin Ekeler projects as a core piece of the Washington Commanders offense. Managers drafting him need to plan around his Week 14 bye and monitor training camp reports for role changes. DraftCall's AI comparison engine lets you pit him against any other NFL player in seconds, factoring in matchup quality, recent form, and scoring format, so you can make start or sit calls with real reasoning instead of gut feel.
