Austin Ekeler’s hip, Derrick Henry’s foot and Fantasy Fact or Fiction | Ekeler’s Edge
Yahoo Sports’ Fantasy Expert Liz Loza asks Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler to take us through how he went from missing multiple practices with a hip injury, to playing and producing against the Patriots. We’ll preview the Chargers east coast showdown with the Eagles, who just happen to be rather generous to opposing running backs. Liz and Austin will play a little Fantasy Fact or Fiction with three players that could make or break your team. Finally, Austin will share his take on the devastating foot injury to the NFL’s rushing leader Derrick Henry. What could a possible return to the field this season look like for King Henry? Austin will share his experience returning from a severe hamstring injury a season ago.
Video Transcript
[CHEERING]
LIZ LOZA: If he did come back, do you think he'd still be himself on the field?
AUSTIN EKELER: I actually can relate to that, because I know I dealt with the hamstring injury last year when I was out for two months. And when I came back, I immediately knew that I was not the same type of player that I was. Like, my 100% was not 100%.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
LIZ LOZA: What is up, everyone? Welcome to "Ekeler's Edge." I'm Liz Loza, and this is, of course Chargers Running Back, fantasy football superstar, and athleisure wear model, Austin Ekeler.
AUSTIN EKELER: Athleisure wear model, wow. Something new every week. I love it. Welcome back, everyone. Looking forward to the day.
LIZ LOZA: Yep, we got a great show for you. We'll preview the Chargers match-up with the Eagles, play a game of Fantasy Fact or Fiction, and dive into the unfortunate injury of Austin's fellow running back, Derrick Henry.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
All right, Austin, we got to get into it. Last Sunday, your Chargers lost-- it's a tough one-- 27 to 24 to the Patriots.
AUSTIN EKELER: Yeah. You know, they just played a better game than us that day flat out. They played more discipline than we did. We made more mistakes than they did.
And, you know, that's kind of, like, the typical Patriots. What are they most known for? For making the least amount of mistakes and letting you kind of beat yourself. That's something we have to learn from.
LIZ LOZA: Well, you didn't get the outcome you were hoping for for your team. Your fantasy managers had to be happy. You totaled 124 scrimmage yards and a score.
AUSTIN EKELER: Yeah, hey, that's kind of what you going you get. I feel like that's gotta be, like, my typical game. I feel like a typical game for Austin's, like, 50 yards receiving, 50 yards, you know, rushing, and maybe a touchdown in there or something.
Obviously, I need to do more for my team, because we're still losing. So it's like, hey, how can I extend that one play here and there, which my fantasy owners-- including myself, because I am my own owner in one of my fantasies-- will like a little bit more.
LIZ LOZA: Last week, when we recorded on Tuesday, you said your ankle was feeling better. But then on Wednesday, this hip issue popped up. Can you take us through your week and how you're feeling now as you head into week nine at Philly?
AUSTIN EKELER: Yeah, it was really strange. So just through the season in the NFL, as I've learned, you know, you just kind of always feel bumped up. So I had some bursa injury on my right hip that was injured. It was an inflamed--
LIZ LOZA: A bur-- a bursa? What is it?
AUSTIN EKELER: A bursa sac, some type of fluid lubricant thing that's in your body that helps your joints and body just not be stiff, I guess. Regardless, mine was inflamed, had more fluid in that area than usual. And then I practiced on Wednesday, and then Thursday, I just literally could not lift my leg up past 90 degrees. I was like, something's wrong with my leg.
Like, I told my trainer-- I texted my trainer that night. I was like, man, I got to come in in the morning, and I have to get this looked at by the doctor. Because something is wrong with me. And went in there, and yeah, for the entire week, was not able to move it. It was like, oh, it's bursa, you know, it's inflamed, it might have moved into hip, or it's pressing on nerves.
And so I ended up just getting, like, a numbing shot just to see if that would work, and I think it might have relieve some muscle in there or some fluid. I'm not even sure, but after I got my numbing shot, my leg felt way better, felt normal, you know? And so I was able to play in the game because of it. And, you know, some things, you just kind of don't ask questions, you just roll with it, and that one of those.
LIZ LOZA: Are you feeling good now? Or does it still feel sore? Are you worried about any inflammation heading into the week?
AUSTIN EKELER: Yeah. I actually told my trainer, I was like, look, this is actually the best that I felt, you know, since before my ankle.
LIZ LOZA: Wow.
AUSTIN EKELER: Your boy, Austin, is feeling good right now. So looking forward to this week of fantasy for sure.
LIZ LOZA: Oh, we love it. He's feeling good, he's giving us an over of 100 total yards and a score. All right, then let's talk about week nine. The 3 and 5 Eagles are coming off of a 44 to 6 dusting of the winless Lions.
But so far this season, the Eagles run defense has been extremely generous to opposing running backs. They're giving up over 30 fantasy points per game. So is it safe to say that you should have an opportunity for a big day this Sunday in the city of brotherly love?
AUSTIN EKELER: Hey, I would always like to say that it's an opportunity for a big day any time we're able to step on the field. Definitely looking forward to a big day, whether it's in the running game, pass game, just any way in general.
LIZ LOZA: All right, let's take the over then, the over on Austin. 100 total yards and a touchdown at Philly in week nine. Love it.
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I'm gonna give you a player in this situation, and then you can tell me if my statement on said player is a fact or a fiction.
AUSTIN EKELER: All right, sounds easy enough.
LIZ LOZA: All right, we're gonna start with the Titans Quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Tennessee, of course, lost Derrick Henry, the NFL's rushing leader to a major foot injury last Sunday. Tannehill is in the top 10 in the league in passing yards. But you tell me if this is fact or fiction. Ryan Tannehill will carry the Titans offense without Derrick Henry starting week nine at the Rams and produce for his fantasy managers.
AUSTIN EKELER: Look, he doesn't have his big brute in the back anymore who can just run through people, and scoring these long touchdowns, and keeping the chains moving, falling for four, five yards every single play. They picked up Adrian Peterson. They're still going to rely on the run game. You have to be able to run the ball, you have to have some type of balance.
But I do think Ryan is gonna be tested. And I'm gonna say-- I'm gonna say fact. I'm gonna say fact that he's gonna be able to carry them. And the reason is because he's, for the most part, been taking care of the ball. And his receivers around him are playing well, too.
LIZ LOZA: I absolutely hear you on all that. I'd feel a lot better about the situation, frankly, if Julio Jones was healthy, because it's been awesome to see AJ Brown performing at such a high level. But ooh, this match-up against the Rams is rough. I mean, the Rams pass rush is no joke. They got 25 sacks on the season, the league leader in sacks, in fact.
And meanwhile, Ryan Tannehill has the fourth most of any quarterback. So ultimately, if I had the choice, I'd like to avoid him because of the match-up in week nine. But it doesn't really matter if he wins or loses for his personal team as long as he wins for fantasy managers.
And I think you're right, Austin. There is fact here. He's gonna have to open up this offense, he's going to have to pass a lot more. And so I do think he will produce for fantasy managers through the end of the year.
Next is Miami Dolphins Wide Receiver DeVante Parker, who returned from injury in week eight to post eight receptions for 85 yards on 11 targets in week eight at Buffalo. So fact or fiction, fantasy managers can believe in Miami's DeVante Parker for the rest of the season, starting with week nine against the Texans?
AUSTIN EKELER: One thing that you hear me talk about a lot is consistency, like, consistency. How consistent are you? Really, that's what it comes down to in the NFL and in fantasy as well. And what do you want to see from your fantasy players?
Every time they get the ball, hey, they make something happen. And I think that's been the case with DeVante. And he's coming off an injury, but, you know, he had a good game last week as far as fantasy. And, you know, I think he's gonna give them a viable option to continue to move the ball down the field. Fact.
LIZ LOZA: Yeah, I am agreeing with fact. I think DeVante Parker deserves to be in the wide receiver three conversation as long as he's healthy. What's interesting is that last year, Tua was reluctant to throw to DeVante Parker because he's a contested catch specialist, and that means squeezing the ball into a tighter window. But this year, you've seen Tua actually reach for DeVante Parker, you see him get 11 targets against a really good Bills defense. And I think that he's gonna continue to produce as long as he's on the field.
And finally, since coming over from the Panthers prior to week four, Jaguars Tight End Dan Arnold has become one of Trevor Lawrence's favorite targets, averaging 7.6 targets over the last three weeks. So fact or fiction, the Jags' Dan Arnold can continue his recent success against the tough Bills D in week nine?
AUSTIN EKELER: I feel like just coming into any new offense, especially during the middle of the year, is definitely gonna be hard. But I think he's done a good job getting himself acclimated. Obviously, he's been getting some attention, they've been throwing in the ball. Trevor Lawrence is starting to believe in him a little bit more, actually come back to him.
He's gonna a tough match-up coming in against the Bills, but I think he's going to be one of their go-tos, especially when it gets down to the red zone. I know the Bills are pretty good against the tight ends down in the red zone, but I'm believing in him. I'm believing in him, because they need some help over there, and I'm hoping he makes a play for him.
LIZ LOZA: Yeah, I think you're right. I am agreeing as well. I'm going with fact. I know that the match-up, as you mentioned, is tough. The Bills have only given up two touchdowns to the tight end position. But here's the thing, the only thing that has been consistent about the Jags-- and you mentioned consistency, right-- is Dan Arnold.
He is proving to be the security blanket that this rookie quarterback, in fact, needed. And so he's seeing regular targets. I don't love the match-up, so I'm not gonna rank him inside the top 10 at the position. But when you've got guys like TJ Hockenson, and Rob Gronkowski, and Ricky Seals-Jones on bye, and you need a spot start, I think that Dan Arnold is a very decent choice.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
As we said earlier in the show, the NFL's rushing leader, Derrick Henry of the Titans, suffered a Jones fracture in his right foot last Sunday in Indianapolis. There's no timetable for his return, but reports put it anywhere between six to 12 weeks. According to our Tyler Greenawalt, the 6'5", 250-pound Henry was on pace to become the first player to break the 500-touch threshold in a season, rush for more than 2000 yards in back-to-back seasons, and become the first running back since Walter Payton's "Sweetness" to lead the NFL in rush attempts for four straight seasons. [EXHALES LOUDLY] I got to take a breath after all of that. Austin--
AUSTIN EKELER: Man.
LIZ LOZA: --when you hear numbers like that as a fellow star running back, I mean, what comes to your mind?
AUSTIN EKELER: I mean, for me, just ouch, ow. My body is like oh, man, like, 'cause I know myself. I could not handle that.
My body definitely hurts after games, and I don't take nearly the load that he does. But man, the fact that he was able to do what he's been doing, it's a huge hit to the league. How much attention he was growing and actually just providing to the league because of how well he was playing-- just one of those anomaly players that you love to watch.
LIZ LOZA: As a fellow star running back, do you think he could come back from this sort of injury this season?
AUSTIN EKELER: The last thing you want to do is come back early. And, you know, hopefully his teammates are telling him that too, and hopefully he's in the right space where it comes to that. Because if you come back early and then re-injure it, then you're just right back where you started. I'm saying yeah, but it's probably gonna be towards the end of the year, it's looking like.
LIZ LOZA: Yeah, return to sport is different than return to previous play, right?
AUSTIN EKELER: Yeah.
LIZ LOZA: So if he did come back, do you think he'd still be himself on the field?
AUSTIN EKELER: I actually can relate to that, because I know I dealt with the hamstring injury last year when I was out for two months. And when I came back, I immediately knew that I was not the same type of player that I was. Like, my 100% was not 100%. This guy is an anomaly, so who knows?
Maybe, you know he loses a step, but he's still way out in front of everybody so there's no telling, there's no telling. But the only thing I would say is yeah, man, just make sure you get that thing healed up. That would be my advice. And I'm sure he's getting the same from a lot of people around him.
LIZ LOZA: And that's going to do it for this edition of "Ekeler's Edge." We've got Austin going over 100 total yards and scoring in Philadelphia, in case you weren't paying attention. We also played a little Fact or Fiction, so keep track of that. And, of course, we discussed the Derrick Henry injury, which we will continue to monitor here on "Yahoo Sports."
AUSTIN EKELER: Good luck, everyone out there, and let's do it.