Spiller will battle a crowded running back room to try to supplant Joshua Kelley as the RB2 in Los Angeles behind Austin Ekeler. To do so, he's going to need a lot better second season. Spiller only played in six games last year due partially to injury and only touched the ball 21 times in those six games. What's worse is that he was miserable on those 21 touches, averaging 2.6 yards per touch compared to 5.3 for Ekeler and 4.7 for Kelley. Holding Spiller in Dynasty makes sense, at least through September, but he's irrelevant in redraft unless he beats out Kelley in training camp.
Spiller carried the ball five times for 12 yards and also caught both of his receptions for 15 yards in the 24-17 win over the Raiders on Sunday.
At this point, it's clear Spiller has surpassed Elijah Dotson as the team's No. 3 running back behind the injured Austin Ekeler (ankle) and Joshua Kelley. With Ekeler likely to return following the Chargers' Week 5 bye, Spiller likely falls out of fantasy relevance in all but the deepest of leagues.
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Chargers' Isaiah Spiller: Sees second-string snaps in win
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Spiller carried the ball twice for seven yards in the 28-24 win over the Vikings on Sunday.
Spiller wound up playing 16 snaps compared to Elijah Dotson's one, so for at least one game, it appears as if the 2022 fourth-round pick might have moved up the depth chart somewhat. Austin Ekeler (ankle) seems like he could be closer to returning, which would in turn bump Joshua Kelley and everyone else down a peg in terms of playing time.
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Chargers' Isaiah Spiller: Hardly plays in loss
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Spiller carried the ball once for three yards in Sunday's 27-24 overtime loss to the Titans.
With Austin Ekeler (ankle) out, the Chargers relied heavily on Joshua Kelley (54 snaps) and mixed in Elijah Dotson (nine snaps), with Spiller tallying just four. At this point, it appears as if the 2022 fourth-round pick has been completely cast aside, especially considering he was a healthy scratch in Week 1.
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Chargers' Isaiah Spiller: Healthy scratch Sunday
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Spiller (coach's decision) is inactive Sunday against the Dolphins.
Spiller will stay on the sidelines as the team opts to go with Elijah Dotson as its No. 3 back against Miami. The former will try to earn the chance to suit up Week 2 against the Titans.
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Chargers' Isaiah Spiller: Solid again with limited touches
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Spiller carried the ball five times for 27 yards in Sunday's preseason loss to the Saints.
Joshua Kelley also got five touches but managed only 13 yards with them -- a mark that Spiller topped in one play, an 18-yard dash up the middle during a two-minute drill at the end of the first half that set up the Chargers' first TD of the night. The two backs could continue jockeying for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart behind Austin Ekeler right up until the Week 1 kickoff, but at the moment, the momentum in the battle seems to swinging toward Spiller.
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Chargers' Isaiah Spiller: Solid with seven touches Saturday
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Spiller rushed five times for 27 yards and brought in both targets for 11 yards in the Chargers' 34-17 preseason win over the Rams on Saturday night.
The 2022 fourth-round pick was the second running back to receive a touch behind Joshua Kelley, with Spiller entering on the second possession of the game. Kelley, his primary competition for the No. 2 running back role, logged four more carries and gained twice as many rushing yards, but Spiller helped offset that to an extent with his pair of receptions. The job battle between the two will continue to unfold during a preseason home matchup against the Saints on Sunday night, Aug. 20.
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Chargers' Isaiah Spiller: Disappointing rookie season
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Spiller finished the 2022-23 season with just 41 yards on 18 carries and caught all three of his targets for 13 yards.
Spiller appeared in just six games during his rookie season, as he was the odd-man out in the Chargers' backfield. The rookie running back was unable to carve himself a consistent role on offense and was repeatedly a healthy scratch. With Sony Michel now gone, Spiller will look to live up to his status as a fourth-round pick and will compete with Joshua Kelley for a more prominent role next season.
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Chargers' Isaiah Spiller: Inactive versus Rams
Rotowire
Spiller (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Rams.
With Spiller the odd man out Sunday, Austin Ekeler, Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree are in line to handle Chargers' backfield duties in Week 17.
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Chargers' Isaiah Spiller: Role diminished in win
Rotowire
Spiller carried the ball two times for three yards while catching his only target for two yards Sunday in the 25-24 win against the Cardinals.
Spiller saw his usage drop compared to the past three weeks, as he was outplayed by Joshua Kelley who made his return to action after missing four games with a sprained MCL. Kelley seemed to reestablish himself as the primary backup behind Austin Ekeler, playing 14 snaps compared to just eight snaps from the rookie running back. Even with a favorable matchup against the Raiders next week, Spiller doesn't have much fantasy value save for the deepest of leagues.
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Chargers' Isaiah Spiller: Week 12 Waiver Priority List
Rotowire
Spiller is the No. 2 running back for the Chargers behind Austin Ekeler since he's played the second-most snaps at the position for three games in a row, ahead of Sony Michel. That makes Spiller a lottery-ticket to roster in all leagues for up to 5 percent of your remaining FAB. Should something happen to Ekeler, Spiller and Michel would likely split touches, but Spiller offers more upside. The wild card in all of this is Joshua Kelley (knee), who could return before the season ends. But for now, stash Spiller where available if you have an open roster spot in deeper leagues.
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Chargers' Isaiah Spiller: Does almost nothing in loss
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Spiller carried the ball four times for three yards in Sunday's 22-16 loss to the 49ers.
Spiller once again out-snapped veteran Sony Michel, but neither back was able to do much in their limited opportunities. Nominal No. 2 back Joshua Kelley (knee) is expected to return in the coming weeks, which could relegate Spiller further down the depth chart. The rookie has a combined 12 carries for 27 yards over the last three games in Kelley's absence.
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Chargers' Isaiah Spiller: Stashes (RB Preview)
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Spiller was the No. 2 back behind Ekeler in Week 9. If he's the handcuff to Ekeler now, he needs to be rostered in close to half of leagues, if not more.
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Chargers' Isaiah Spiller: Week 10 Waiver Priority List
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Spiller just had a season-high seven carries for 29 yards in Week 9 at Atlanta coming off the Chargers bye week, and maybe he's the new No. 2 running back for the Chargers behind Austin Ekeler. If he's the handcuff for Ekeler then that gives him lottery-ticket upside, and he's worth stashing for 1 percent of your remaining FAB. If you were holding Sony Michel on your bench then drop him for Spiller.
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Chargers' Isaiah Spiller: Does nothing in first game
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Spiller lost five yards in his only carry of Sunday's 37-23 blowout loss to the Seahawks.
The rookie made his NFL debut Sunday with Joshua Kelley (knee) set to miss at least four games, but the Chargers fell behind by three scores in the first quarter, which limited any opportunities for the likes of Spiller or Sony Michel. The rookie does have draft pedigree relative to Michel and also profiles as a better receiving target out of the backfield, but given the 21-year-old's much-maligned preseason and subsequent multiple healthy scratches to begin the 2022 campaign, it's clear Spiller will need to earn his way into a more prominent role.
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Chargers' Isaiah Spiller: Inactive for Week 2
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Spiller is inactive for Thursday night's game against Kansas City.
With Spiller the odd man out for now, the Chargers' Week 2 backfield is slated to be led by Austin Ekeler, with Joshua Kelley and Sony Michel on hand to handle complementary work versus the Chiefs.
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Chargers' Isaiah Spiller: Healthy scratch to start career
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Spiller (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's Week 1 matchup against the Raiders, Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times reports.
The rookie overcame a preseason ankle injury by returning to practice as a full participant this past week, but the Chargers will still have Spiller in street clothes for the season-opening divisional clash. Recent veteran addition Sony Michel will serve as the No. 3 running back behind the top backfield duo of Austin Ekeler and Joshua Kelley against Las Vegas.
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Chargers' Isaiah Spiller: Suffers ankle injury
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Spiller suffered an ankle injury in Saturday's preseason game against the Cowboys and is questionable to return.
Spiller was the third back to earn a carry for the Chargers, behind both Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree. Spiller also was ineffective with the opportunity given, tallying only three rushes for three yards prior to his exit. It's unclear how long the issue may sideline him, but it appears as if he has plenty of work to do to make an impact in the offense.
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Chargers' Isaiah Spiller: Working with backups
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Spiller has primarily worked with the second- and third-team offenses at training camp, but Daniel Popper of The Athletic notes that the rookie's "physicality is starting to pop" now that the Chargers have started padded practices.
The rookie fourth-round pick will need more than brute strength and determination to earn a role, but those traits certainly help when competing for part-time work behind a smaller, versatile back like Chargers starter Austin Ekeler. While previous draft picks Joshua Kelley (2020 fourth-round choice) and Larry Rountree (2021 sixth-round choice) failed to take advantage of similar opportunities the past two years, Spiller still has time to make an impression this summer. If he fails to do so, the Chargers could go with Rountree or Kelley off the bench or else could use an unpredictable rotation the way they did for much of last season.
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Chargers' Isaiah Spiller: Excellent landing spot with LA
Rotowire
The Chargers selected Spiller (groin) in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 123rd overall.
The Chargers didn't have many needs entering the 2022 NFL Draft, but the selection of Spiller shores up an obvious weak spot on the roster. The Texas A&M product was billed as a possible second-round selection after back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, but after straining his adductor prior to the combine and subsequently running a 4.63 40-yard dash at his pro day, it became clear Spiller was not a high-round back that some projected. That being said, the junior plays much faster on tape, particularly once getting into the open field, and he's a plus receiver even for his size (6-foot, 217 pounds). Los Angeles desperately needed a second back to take some workload off Austin Ekeler, and it's entirely possible Spiller might already be a better backup than lackluster incumbents Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree. Kelley, Rountree and Justin Jackson combined for 137 carries and 28 targets last season as part of the jumbled timeshare behind Ekeler. Expect Spiller to immediately assume most of those opportunities with the possibility for additional workload should the Chargers make good on their promise to limit Ekeler's exposure somewhat in 2022.
