Austin Ekeler injury: Should you start Joshua Kelley in fantasy Week 2 in Chargers RB1's absence?

Austin Ekeler is one of the most productive running backs there is in fantasy football, as his ability to contribute to the passing game is second only to Christian McCaffrey and he's also very good at running the football.

However, Ekeler has been nursing an ankle injury since the Week 1 game against the Miami Dolphins and his status for the Week 2 matchup against the Tennessee Titans was up in the air. Check out what you should do in your fantasy football team if you have any Chargers running back.

Austin Ekeler injury update

Austin Ekeler is out for the Week 2 game against the Tennessee Titans.

He was listed as doubtful by the team in Friday's injury report, which already raised a red flag about his availability. On Saturday, Los Angeles decided to downgrade Ekeler to OUT, giving Joshua Kelley the official starter nod for the contest.

One important thing to point out is that, even as Ekeler nurses his ankle injury, the fact that he was listed as doubtful until Saturday represents a good idea of how long he's going to be out - he'll probably be available for your team once Week 3 kicks in.

Joshua Kelley fantasy projection for Week 2: Should I start Chargers RB?

Even with Austin Ekeler out, don't jump at the chance of picking Kelley on the waivers and starting him - you're probably going to regret it.

Yes, it's true that he should get the majority of the carries against the Tennessee Titans, but this is a terrible matchup: the Titans have a stout run defense ever since last season, and they allowed just 69 yards in 26 carries for an excellent 2.6 yards-per-carry average against the New Orleans Saints.

On the other hand, the strength of the Chargers' offense lies in the passing game, with Justin Herbert being one of the best quarterbacks in the league while the trio of wide receivers composed of Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Quentin Johnston is also way above the average. They're going to pass a lot.

Just keep Kelley away from your starter lineup. Even if he's the starter against the Titans, there's a huge chance you're going to regret it.