31 Kalen Ballage RB

Ballage carried the ball 13 times for 36 yards and a touchdown in the Chargers' Week 17 win over the Chiefs.

Ballage -- who finished the 2020 season with a combined 402 yards and three TDs with a pair of teams -- put together an uneventful three-game stint with the Jets before joining the Chargers midway through the campaign. From a statistical standpoint, the ensuing eight games were easily the busiest juncture of Ballage's three-year career to date, as the 25-year-old logged 108 touches in that span, mainly in the absence of Austin Ekeler (quad). While Ballage put together career-highs in rushing yards (290) and receiving yards (99), he was hardly efficient with his opportunities, finishing the season with a paltry 3.3 yards-per-carry average. It remains to be seen how the Chargers manage their carry distribution at running back moving forward with head coach Anthony Lynn now out of the picture. The offense had been almost dependent on a bruising back capable of running between the tackles as a fulcrum of sorts to work alongside Ekeler during Lynn's tenure, but a more imaginative coach could choose to make Ekeler the truly dominant option out of the backfield, thus forcing the backups to remain largely out of the picture. While Ballage's counting stats could make him a frontrunner for whatever the team's top backup RB job looks like in 2021, Justin Jackson, 2020 fourth-round pick Joshua Kelley and possibly others could contend for that role entering next season.

Ballage carried the ball four times for 14 yards and also caught two passes for 12 yards in Sunday's 19-16 win over the Broncos on Sunday.

Ballage saw just 16 offensive snaps, the lowest total to date during his brief Chargers tenure, but he still managed to tally 26 total yards, a three-week high. The 25-year-old will have one more week to make his case as the team's optimal backup option for 2021 behind stalwart Austin Ekeler.

Ballage carried eight times for 11 yards and a touchdown in Thursday's 30-27 win over the Raiders.

The Chargers entire rushing attack was largely inefficient, but Ballage's 1.4 yards-per-carry stood out as dismal. The castaway running back has seen around 20-30 offensive snaps each game since the return of Austin Ekeler, making his fantasy value almost strictly dependent on the ability to get into the end zone.

Ballage carried the ball seven times for 14 yards and caught just one of his two targets for six yards in Sunday's 20-17 win over the Falcons.

It'll be important to monitor the status of Austin Ekeler (quad) who was estimated as non-participant in Monday's practice leading into the Thursday night matchup against the Raiders. With Ekeler healthy, Ballage has totaled just 14 carries and six targets over the last two games after serving as the team's workhorse in previous weeks.

Ballage (ankle) carried the ball seven times for 34 yards and also caught three of his four targets for five yards in Sunday's 45-0 loss to the Patriots.

It's hard to really read much into Ballage's usage given how quickly the Chargers trailed in this contest. The 24-year-old saw one fewer carry than stalwart Austin Ekeler, but the difference in targets (nine to four) should be expected given the dramatic difference in the score. Seeing 38 percent of the offensive snaps is notable considering Joshua Kelley registered just 23 percent of the offensive snaps in Ekeler's return from injury last week, so we can at least rule out the possibility Ballage could get phased out of the offense entirely. By default, expect a better performance from Ballage and company next week against the Falcons.

Ballage (ankle) is listed as active for Sunday's game against the Patriots.

Ballage is back in the Chargers' backfield mix after sitting out the team's Week 12 loss to the Bills. However, with Austin Ekeler having reclaimed his role as the team's lead runner, Ballage's fantasy upside has dipped following a three-game run (Weeks 9 through 11) in which he was featured by the team while Ekeler was sidelined.

Ballage (ankle), who is listed as questionable, is expected to play Sunday against the Patriots, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The 24-year-old received the questionable tag despite being able to practice with no limitations Friday, so it's not a major surprise he'll be suiting up versus New England. Ballage was handling the lead role in the Chargers' backfield before sitting out Week 12, but Austin Ekeler made his return from injured reserve and picked up 25 touches after the six-game absence. Ballage likely will operate as the team's secondary tailback while Ekeler continues to handle the majority of the work.

Ballage (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Patriots.

Ballage upgraded to full participation Friday after a pair of limited sessions, so he's more likely than not to be out there on game day. Even if he suits up, Ballage's role is likely to be limited with sparkplug Austin Ekeler back in the fold for the Chargers. Ekeler handled 25 touches with Ballage unavailable last week and should continue to see the majority of work regardless of Ballage's status.

Ballage (ankle) remained limited at practice Thursday, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Back-to-back limited practice sessions give Ballage a chance to return to action Sunday against the Patriots, but with Austin Ekeler now back in the mix and having reclaimed his role as the Chargers' top RB, Ballage's fantasy stock has taken a hit since he last suited up and logged 16 carries in Week 11.

Ballage (ankle) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

After pacing the Los Angeles backfield in touches for three straight games, Ballage sat out last week's loss to the Bills with the injury. Fortunately for the Chargers, top back Austin Ekeler was cleared to return from injured reserve ahead of the contest, and he immediately reclaimed a three-down role. Since he was limited in practice last week before sitting out against Buffalo, Ballage can't yet be considered a lock to return against the Patriots in Week 13. Even if he does gain clearance for the weekend, Ballage's fantasy value has already taken a major hit, as Ekeler will likely continue to lead the way in terms of both snaps and touches the rest of the way so long as he stays healthy.

Ballage (ankle/calf) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Bills.

After his two injuries limited him in practice all week, Ballage was deemed a game-time call heading into Sunday. He ultimately wasn't able to convince the Los Angeles coaching and training staffs that he could play through the injuries, resulting in him being ruled out of the contest. Fortunately for the Chargers, they'll be getting top running back Austin Ekeler (hamstring) back from a two-month absence Sunday, so Ballage looks like he'll be headed for a reserve role if he's able to get healthy in time for a Week 13 matchup with the Patriots.

Ballage (ankle/calf), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's contest against the Bills, is being treated as a game-time decision, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Adam Schefter of ESPN previously relayed Saturday that Ballage wasn't expected to play, but Rapoport's report paints the 24-year-old as more of a 50-50 call for the Week 12 contest. Even if he gains clearance prior to the 1 p.m. ET kickoff, Ballage looks set to fall into more of a change-of-pace role after handling 21 touches per game over the Chargers' last three contests. Los Angeles will return No. 1 back Austin Ekeler (hamstring) from an eight-week absence Sunday, and while he may not take on a true bell-cow role in his first game since Week 4, he's expected to pace the backfield in snaps and touches.

Ballage (ankle) isn't expected to play Sunday against the Bills, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The 24-year-old is officially considered questionable, but his status for Sunday's contest is apparently in doubt. Ballage has dominated the backfield work the past three games with 49 carries for 181 yards and 14 receptions for 76 yards, but his outlook for Week 12 is severely diminished due to the ankle injury and the return of Austin Ekeler (hamstring) from injured reserve. Ekeler was activated Saturday and should reclaim the lead role in the backfield, but the team may not immediately give him a full workload since he hasn't seen game action since Week 4. If Ballage is unavailable, Joshua Kelley and Troymaine Pope are the remaining backfield options for the Chargers.

Ballage (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game at Buffalo.

Earlier this week, the Chargers opened Austin Ekeler's (hamstring) 21-day window to return from IR. They'll have to make a decision on Ekeler by Saturday afternoon, but the current starting running back, Ballage, is entering the weekend with a cloud hanging over his head. Assuming he suits up, Ballage may have to contend with Ekeler for reps, with Joshua Kelley and Troymaine Pope also potentially mixing into L.A.'s backfield.

Ballage (ankle/calf) was limited at practice Thursday.

That was also the case Wednesday, which sets the stage for Friday's final injury report of the week to clarify whether Ballage ends up listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bills, or minus a Week 12 injury designation.

Ballage was limited at practice Wednesday with ankle and calf injuries, Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Ballage's status for Sunday's game against the Bills must now be monitored, but on the plus side for the Chargers, Austin Ekeler (hamstring) was cleared to resume practicing Wednesday. Once Ekeler is activated from injured reserve, Ballage's fantasy value will take a hit, but that's not a lock to occur this week. In any case, if Ballage ends up unavailable or limited this weekend, added opportunities could be available for Joshua Kelley and Troymaine Pope.

Ballage carried 16 times for 44 yards and caught seven of nine targets for 27 yards during Sunday's 34-28 win over the Jets.

Despite his team leading for much of the day and having plenty of success in the passing game, Ballage averaged just 2.8 yards per carry. He finished second on the team in targets and receptions but did little with his touches in that phase of the game as well. Although the results were lackluster, Ballage now has at least 70 scrimmage yards in all three of his games with the Chargers and will be the team's main runner for as long as Austin Ekeler (hamstring/knee) is sidelined. The latter seemingly has a chance to return next Sunday against the Bills, but it remains to be seen how the touches are distributed if he does play.

Coach Anthony Lynn said Wednesday that Ballage will most likely serve as the Chargers' "primary back" heading into Sunday's game against the Jets, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Lynn also said that he wants to scheme more looks for Ballage, even though the third-yard back already saw an ample workload in last week's loss to the Dolphins, when he handled 23 touches and surpassed 100 yards from scrimmage. Though he currently sits atop the depth chart, Ballage's reign as the No. 1 back will likely only last as long as Austin Ekeler (hamstring/knee) remains on injured reserve. The Chargers are tentatively hoping that Ekeler can make it back from IR for a Week 12 game in Buffalo, but even if that's the case, Ballage could still see plenty of use in a complementary role.

Ballage carried the ball 18 times for 68 yards and also tallied five receptions for 34 yards in the 29-21 loss Sunday to the Dolphins.

That's now back-to-back weeks Ballage has acted as the feature back for the Chargers, and this time Week 8 leading rusher Troymaine Pope (neck) was active. At this point it's safe to assume Ballage has surpassed Joshua Kelley and Pope on the team's running-back hierarchy, and it's possible the former Dolphin could remain a part of the team's plans once Austin Ekeler (hamstring) returns, which could be as soon as Week 12 against the Bills. In the immediate future, Ballage figures to be the prime back in another revenge game, this time against the Jets next Sunday.

The Chargers promoted Ballage to the active roster Saturday.

Ballage made his Chargers debut last week and immediately received an increased workload with Justin Jackson (knee) exiting early, and he took advantage of the opportunity, recording 84 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 17 touches. Jackson's now on IR, too, so Ballage, Joshua Kelley and Troymaine Pope (neck) will round out the backfield committee for Sunday's game versus Miami. The Chargers likely will take a "hot hand" approach, so Ballage should have a chance to prove that last week wasn't a fluke.