Getty Justin Jackson will have a role with the Chargers if Melvin Gordon is forced to miss time.
Melvin Gordon sustained an MCL sprain in Week 12 against the Cardinals which opens up an opportunity for either Justin Jackson or Austin Ekeler. Both players received work in Gordon’s absence creating a lot of fantasy questions around the Chargers backfield. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Gordon will miss a “few weeks” which could mean he is out for the remainder of the fantasy season.
“The #Chargers have lost RB Melvin Gordon for a few weeks with a grade 2 MCL sprain, but he should be back before the playoffs…#Chargers star RB Melvin Gordon was diagnosed with a grade 2 MCL sprain suffered in yesterday’s blowout win, sources say. He had his MRI last night. Gordon is out the next few weeks, but should be back before the end of the regular season if all goes well,” Rapoport tweeted.
Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn spoke about Gordon’s status after their win over the Cardinals.
“His knee is swollen right now,” Lynn told NFL.com. “We don’t know exactly what it is. We’ll get a further evaluation tomorrow, and we’ll go from there.”
With Gordon out for the foreseeable future, it means Jackson and Ekeler should both be added. If I had to prioritize one player it would be Ekeler because of his workload in the passing game. However, if you have room to roster both players, I believe Jackson will have a role as well. After the game, Philip Rivers praised Ekeler which could point to who will receive the majority of the work while Gordon is sidelined.
“We’re all going to have to pick up the load a little bit,” Rivers told ESPN. “Thank God we have a guy like Ekeler behind him that we have a lot of confidence in, both in the run and the pass.”
Both Austin Ekeler & Justin Jackson Are Worth Waiver Wire Pickups
Jackson is going to get carries as well, and his play in college tells us he can be a real factor in Gordon’s absence. Jackson ended up having more carries (7 to 5) than Ekeler against the Cardinals.
Jackson rushed for 5,440 yards and 41 touchdowns in his four years at Northwestern. Jackson rushed for 1,311 yards and 11 touchdowns in his senior season.
Footballguys’ Matt Waldman broke down some of Jackson’s runs against the Cardinals.
This is a pretty run by #Chargers Justin Jackson. Penetration into the backfield during the exchange and Jackson executes a good jump-stop without jumping too deep. Cuts back inside and spins through contact with balance touch thrown in for another 3-4 yards…The next run for #Chargers RB Justin Jackson. Misdirection toss right. Good ball security, small through the crease, and pad level to bounce off hit and clean with stiff arm. Jackson has one of the best arsenals of stiff-arms I’ve seen.
Here’s a look at the clips from the plays Waldman is referencing.
This is a pretty run by #Chargers Justin Jackson.
Penetration into the backfield during the exchange and Jackson executes a good jump-stop without jumping too deep.
Cuts back inside and spins through contact with balance touch thrown in for another 3-4 yards.
The next run for #Chargers RB Justin Jackson. Misdirection toss right. Good ball security, small through the crease, and pad level to bounce off hit and clean with stiff arm.
Jackson has one of the best arsenals of stiff-arms I’ve seen.
The reason Ekeler should have the edge in your waiver wire priority is his play on passing downs. Ekeler had 10 receptions for 68 yards against the Cardinals. It would not be a surprise if Jackson ends up with more carries than Ekeler, but Ekeler is likely to have more total yards.
Ekeler will be especially valuable in PPR leagues thanks to his reception totals. If you miss out on Ekeler, Jackson is not a bad consolation prize, especially in non-PPR leagues.