It is a crowded running back room behind Austin Ekeler, and for now, Kelley looks like the best bet to win the No. 2 job. Kelley took that job over down the stretch in 2022 and played at least one-third of the snaps in each of the Chargers' last six games. At the very least, Kelley is worthy of a late-round pick just in case something happens to the 28-year-old Ekeler, but there's also a possibility he carves out a bigger role if Kellen Moore decides to split touches more like he did in Dallas with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard.
Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Struggles to pile up much yardage
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Kelley registered 17 carries for 65 yards in the 24-17 win over the Raiders on Sunday.
With Austin Ekeler out for a third and likely final game due to a high-ankle sprain, Kelley ended his multi-week stretch as the top running back on an underwhelming note. While Kelley essentially was the only running back to see much work Sunday, he averaged only 3.8 yards per carry despite facing a Raiders defense that had previously struggled to stop the run. With the Chargers on a bye in Week 5, expect Kelley to revert to the No. 2 running back role with Ekeler likely ready to hit the ground running against the Cowboys come Oct. 16.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Poised for lead role again
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Kelley appears on track for his third straight start at running back Sunday against the Raiders with Austin Ekeler (ankle) listed as doubtful for the contest.
With three straight limited practices this week, Ekeler took a major step forward in his recovery from the high-ankle sprain that has kept him sidelined the past two games. However, with a bye on tap Week 5, the Chargers appear inclined to err on the side of caution with their lead back, who looks set to miss a third straight game before likely returning to action for a Week 6 matchup with the Cowboys on Oct. 16. Kelley is thus set up for another look as the Chargers' No. 1 back, though he hasn't exactly made the most of his previous two opportunities. Despite playing more than 70 percent of the snaps on offense in both of the past two games, Kelley has combined for 51 yards on 24 carries and one reception for five yards while failing to find the end zone.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Struggles again as lead back
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Kelley rushed the ball 11 times for 12 yards in Sunday's 28-24 win over the Vikings. He added one reception for five yards.
Kelley had the opportunity to serve as the Chargers' lead back for the second consecutive week with Austin Ekeler (ankle) sidelined. His poor performance in Week 2 was excused due to a tough matchup against the Titans, though Sunday's effort was disastrous with the Vikings being an exploitable unit. After ripping off 91 yards in Week 1 as the complementary back, Kelley has combined to gain only 51 yards on 24 carries as the starter in two games since. Even if Ekeler remains sidelined in Week 4 against the Raiders, there's a possibility that Kelley won't have the backfield to himself.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Start Him (Lineup Decisions)
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Kelley is worth another shot because he seems like the clear lead guy for the Bolts as long as Austin Ekeler is out. The game figures to be high-scoring, so getting a back who will play over 70% of the snaps makes a lot of sense. He's a low-end starter I would use over Dameon Pierce, Zack Moss and any Jets RB.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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We're waiting to find out if Austin Ekeler (ankle) will play in Week 3 at Minnesota, but if he's out then consider Kelley a starter in all Fantasy leagues. He had a bad game in place of Ekeler in Week 2 at Tennessee with 13 carries for 39 yards and no catches on one target, but that was a brutal matchup against the Titans. The good news is Kelley played 79 percent of the snaps, and he would once again see a hefty workload if Ekeler can't play. The Vikings did a good job in holding Rachaad White to 49 total yards in Week 1, but D'Andre Swift had 181 total yards in Week 2. If Ekeler is out, Kelley should be considered a No. 2 running back in all leagues.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Bottled up in tough matchup
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Kelley rushed the ball 13 times for 39 yards in Sunday's 27-24 overtime loss to the Titans.
Kelley handled the majority of the work out of the Chargers' backfield with Austin Ekeler (ankle) sidelined. He found very little room to run in a tough matchup, though he did manage to tally 15 yards on his longest carry of the day. Kelley was relatively uninvolved as a receiver as he managed to command only one target -- leaving him with no ability to overcome his poor day on the ground. If Ekeler remains out for Week 3, Kelley should find more room to run against the Vikings.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Looks primed for lead role Week 2
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Kelley appears likely to get the bulk of the work out of the Chargers backfield in Sunday's game against the Titans with Austin Ekeler (ankle) listed as doubtful for the contest, Noah Camras of SI.com reports.
The Chargers leaned heavily on their ground attack in a 36-34 loss to the Dolphins in Week 1, allowing both Ekeler (16 carries for 117 yards and a touchdown, four catches for 47 yards on five targets) and Kelley (16 carries for 91 yards and a touchdown, no catches on one target) to come through with useful stat lines. Unless Ekeler -- who didn't practice all week -- makes more progress in his recovery from the ankle injury than anticipated as Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff approaches, he'll be inactive for Week 2, clearing the way for Kelley to take on a major role in one of the NFL's better offenses. Even if the Chargers rely more heavily on the passing game than they did in Week 1, Kelley should still operate as the clear-cut top option on the ground while also seeing more involvement than usual as a receiver. The other two healthy running backs on the Chargers' 53-man roster -- Elijah Dotson and Isaiah Spiller -- have combined for 54 career offensive snaps, and neither may be trusted to handle any sort of meaningful change-of-pace role behind Kelley.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Week 1 Waiver Priority List
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Kelley should be the No. 2 running back for the Chargers this season behind Austin Ekeler, and that makes him a potential lottery ticket. The Chargers should have one of the best offenses in the NFL, and Ekeler is entering his age-28 season. We'll see if Isaiah Spiller also has a role for the Chargers this year, but Kelley is the preferred handcuff for Ekeler. He's worth adding in all leagues for 1 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Scores 75-yard TD
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Kelley took two carries for 78 yards and a touchdown in Friday's 23-12 preseason win over the 49ers.
Kelley started and played the first two drives, taking his second carry 75 yards for a touchdown. Isaiah Spiller and the team's trio of undrafted rookie RBs were all less impressive, making Kelley a comfortable favorite for the No. 2 role behind Austin Ekeler when the Chargers host the Dolphins in Week 1.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Does little in Sunday's start
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Kelley carried the ball four times for nine yards and caught his only target for five yards in Sunday's preseason loss to the Saints.
The fourth-year back got the first two touches of the night for the Chargers, but Kelley wound up being thoroughly outplayed by Isaiah Spiller, who averaged 5.4 yards per carry on his five totes. The duo could continue jockeying for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart behind Austin Ekeler right up until the Week 1 kickoff, but even if Kelley loses that battle, his ability to contribute on special teams might be enough to keep him on the roster.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Efficient in preseason opener
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Kelley rushed nine times for 54 yards and failed to bring in his only target during the Chargers' 34-17 preseason win over the Rams on Saturday night.
Kelley was the first Chargers running back with a touch Saturday night and ended up pacing the team in carries. The 2020 fourth-round pick's long run was only 13 yards, so he consistently generated solid gains during his time in the contest. Kelley has been afforded only modest opportunity during his first three seasons, and this summer, he's battling Isaiah Spiller for the No. 2 running back role behind Austin Ekeler. The job battle will continue in Los Angeles' second preseason contest Sunday night, Aug. 20 at home against the Saints.
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Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Efficient season
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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: 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 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: 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.
