Kelley finished the 2022-23 season with 69 carries for 287 yards and two touchdowns while catching 14 of his 25 targets for 101 yards.
Kelley finished the season behind only Austin Ekeler in touches, yards and touchdowns among Chargers running backs. Kelley competed for opportunities with Sony Michel early in the season and missed four games with a sprained MCL, but the 25-year-old established himself as the clear backup by the end of the campaign, a role which he will hope to hold onto for next season.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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If the Chargers don't want to overwork Austin Ekeler with the playoffs on the horizon then we might see Kelley get more work in Week 18 against the Broncos. The Chargers need to win in Week 18 to lock up the No. 5 seed, which is desirable because they would play the AFC South winner. Kelley could be a flex option with an increased workload, and he has two games this season with at least 10 carries. He scored a touchdown in both of them and averaged 13.0 PPR points.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Sleeper RBs
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If the Chargers don't want to overwork Austin Ekeler with the playoffs on the horizon then we might see Kelley get more work in Week 18 against the Broncos. The Chargers need to win in Week 18 to lock up the No. 5 seed, which is desirable because they would play the AFC South winner. Kelley could be a flex option with an increased workload, and he has two games this season with at least 10 carries. He scored a touchdown in both of them and averaged 13.0 PPR points.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Week 18 Waiver Priority List
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I'm listing Kelley here with the chance that he might get more playing time in Week 18 if the Chargers decide to rest Austin Ekeler at all for the playoffs. The Chargers need to win at Denver to secure the No. 5 seed, which is important since the No. 4 seed will be the AFC South winner and likely easiest playoff opponent, so Ekeler could still get his full allotment of snaps. But if Ekeler is rested at all during the game then Kelley could get some positive production. He's worth using as a sneaky sleeper in deeper leagues.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Solid yardage in win
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Kelley tallied nine carries for 45 yards in Sunday's 31-10 win over the Rams. He also caught one of his two targets for one yard.
Sunday marked Kelley's best rushing total since Week 5, and he did it on his fewest snaps since Week 13. Given Austin Ekeler's dominance and the overall feeble attempt by the Rams to compete, Kelley was hardly needed as anything more than a reserve option, and it's hard to imagine that changing much in Week 18 against the Broncos.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Gets nine carries
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Kelley rushed the ball nine times for 33 yards in Monday's 20-3 win over the Colts. He added one reception for nine yards.
Kelley continued to serve as the clear backup to Austin Ekeler, and he has 19 carries combined across his last two games. Kelley ripped off gains of 11 and eight yards to highlight his performance, though Ekeler continued to dominate receiving opportunities and work near the goal line. However, with the Chargers locked into a postseason berth, Kelley could see a slight uptick in work across the final two games of the regular season.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Gets into end zone Sunday
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Kelley carried the ball 10 times for 24 yards and a touchdown and caught one of two targets for seven yards in Sunday's 17-14 win over the Titans.
Austin Ekeler left the game briefly in the first quarter to be checked out for an arm injury, and while the Chargers' starting RB returned to the field quickly, Kelley still wound up tying his season high in carries while scoring his second TD of the year on a one-yard plunge. Assuming Ekeker is 100 percent, expect him to return to his usual limited role in Week 16, although that could still offer Kelley some deep-league fantasy upside against a Colts defense that has collapsed over the last two weeks.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Rips long run in relief
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Kelley tallied four carries for 29 yards and also caught one of his two targets for six yards in the 23-17 win over the Dolphins on Sunday.
Kelley scampered for a 22-yard run early in the second quarter, accounting for one of the more explosive gains on the ground all year for the Chargers. The third-year back saw a season-high 32 offensive snaps Sunday, confirming the platooned back up running back situation has essentially been dissolved.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Quiet in return
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Kelley carried the ball two times for four yards and caught two of his three targets for 16 yards during Sunday's 25-24 win versus the Cardinals.
Kelley made his return to action after spending the past four games on injured reserve with a sprained MCL. Kelley saw both the second most snaps and touches amongst the Los Angeles running backs, but the third-year back still had less touches and yards than he had in all but one other game in which he's played the entirety. As long as Austin Ekeler remains healthy, Kelley's usage should not be expected to increase, but he is still worth holding onto in case the star running back gets hurt.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Returns to active roster
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The Chargers activated Kelley (knee) from injured reserve Saturday.
Kelley has missed the requisite four games on IR as a result of an MCL sprain, but his first game action since Week 6 was forecast Wednesday when the team designated him for return. With three practices likely under his belt this week, he at least will be an option for L.A.'s backfield behind starter Austin Ekeler, along with Isaiah Spiller and Sony Michel. In six appearances this season, Kelley has averaged 4.5 YPC on his 23 rushes and hauled in seven of 10 targets for 56 yards.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Expected to practice this week
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Coach Brandon Staley said Monday that Kelley (knee) is expected to practice this week, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
The third-year running back was placed on IR at the end of October due to a knee injury. When Kelley does return to practice, it'll open a 21-day window for the Chargers to add him to the active roster.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Not playing Sunday
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Kelley (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's game versus the Seahawks, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.
Kelley made an early departure from Monday's eventual win against the Broncos with what eventually was deemed to be a sprained MCL. He subsequently didn't practice this week and may be in line for a multi-game absence as a result of the injury. In Kelley's absence, Sony Michel and rookie fourth-round pick Isaiah Spiller will be the reserve running backs behind L.A.'s top option Austin Ekeler.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: DNP on Wednesday
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Kelly (knee) was listed as a non-participant on the Chargers' injury report Wednesday.
Kelley's absence from practice is no surprise, as he's expected to miss extended time after suffering an MCL sprain during Monday's win over the Broncos. The third-year running back split carries with fellow backup Sony Michel over the first six weeks of the season, recording 23 rushes for 104 yards and a touchdown and seven receptions for 56 yards. It's unclear exactly how long Kelley will be sidelined moving forward.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Likely out multiple weeks
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Chargers head coach Brandon Staley said Tuesday that Kelley suffered an MCL sprain during Monday's win over the Broncos and will be sidelined for multiple weeks, Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Kelley was riding the stationary bike after leaving Monday's contest, so the issue didn't initially appear to be too serious. However, Staley's comments suggest otherwise. It's possible Kelley winds up on IR to open up another roster spot, but in his absence, Sony Michel figures to operate as the top backup behind Austin Ekeler.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Week 6 Adds (RB Preview)
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Kelley has some short term value as the RB2 alongside Austin Ekeler, but his real appeal is the longterm upside if something happens to Ekeler.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Week 6 Waiver Priority List
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Kelley might have pulled ahead of Sony Michel as the No. 2 running back for the Chargers behind Austin Ekeler, which could prove to be a valuable role. If Ekeler has to miss any time due to an injury, Kelley could be a lottery ticket. In Week 5 at Cleveland, Kelley had 10 carries for 49 yards and a touchdown, along with two catches for 33 yards on two targets. Michel, meanwhile, had one carry for no yards and no catches. Kelley should be added in all formats for 5-10 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Week 5 Waiver Priority List
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Kelley might have pulled ahead of Sony Michel as the No. 2 running back for the Chargers behind Austin Ekeler, which could prove to be a valuable role. If Ekeler has to miss any time due to an injury, Kelley could be a lottery ticket. In Week 5 at Cleveland, Kelley had 10 carries for 49 yards and a touchdown, along with two catches for 33 yards on two targets. Michel, meanwhile, had one carry for no yards and no catches. Kelley should be added in all formats for 5-10 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Does little in win
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Kelley carried the ball four times for 15 yards and didn't catch either of his two targets in Sunday's 34-24 win over the Texans.
Kelley routinely has seen the larger snap share of the backup platoon with Sony Michel, but it was the latter who ultimately out-snapped Kelley, 17-14, in a game in which the Chargers rode a comfortable lead for much of the contest. Kelley has been the more explosive of the reserve backs in terms of yards per carry, but he's seen nine fewer rushes with Michel seemingly locked in as the between-the-tackles ball carrier.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Even with Rountree after preseason
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Kelley rushed six times for 40 yards and caught his only target for one yard in Friday's 27-10 preseason loss to the Saints.
Kelley and Larry Rountree split the early reps at running back. The former looked more explosive, but the latter found the end zone despite mustering just 12 rushing yards on six attempts. Both Kelley and Rountree figure to mix in behind Austin Ekeler early in the season while rookie fourth-round pick Isaiah Spiller works his way back from an ankle injury, but Spiller could wind up being the No. 2 running back later in the season unless one of Kelley or Rountree shows substantial improvement compared to previous years.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Compiles 44 total yards in opener
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Kelley rushed three times for 16 yards and secured all three targets for 28 yards in the Chargers' 29-22 preseason loss to the Rams on Saturday night.
Kelley opened the game as the starter with Austin Ekeler inactive and logged the first two rushing touches for the Chargers. The 2020 fourth-round pick's production was impressive on a per-touch basis, and he'll continue his battle with rookie Isaiah Spiller and veteran Larry Rountree for the No. 2 running back job in next Saturday night's preseason home matchup against the Cowboys.
