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Barner or Branden Oliver (Achilles) could be in line for more touches as a complementary running back to starter Melvin Gordon (knee), Jack Wang of the Orange County Register reports.
After losing Danny Woodhead (knee) in free agency over the offseason, the Chargers opted not to draft a running back in the 2017 NFL Draft, opening up an opportunity for Barner to jump in as the team's change-of-pace back. While Gordon filled in admirably as a third-down back in 2016, the team has been vocal about reducing his workload in an effort to keep him healthy for an entire season, meaning Barner, Oliver, or even Kenneth Farrow (shoulder) could see more snaps in 2017. While neither of the trio is expected to see a significant enough boost to earn fantasy relevance out of the gate, the competition for the backup job will be an interesting one to note, given Gordon has missed five games in the last two years due to injury.
