One of the biggest impact players in Week 16 and fantasy football players might still be on the waiver wire.
With Austin Ekeler out for the Los Angeles Chargers, Justin Jackson could be the player who impacts the fate of your fantasy football playoffs. Jackson is expected to receive first-team carries against the Texans on Sunday and is still available in almost 40% of Yahoo! leagues.
Ekeler is such a vital part of the Chargers' offense, so Jackson hasn't seen a ton of opportunities this season. But he made the most of his 13 carries in his last game against the Chiefs, averaging 6.6 yards per carry for 86 yards with a catch for another 13. He's averaging more than five yards per carry on the year.
In the last six weeks alone, Ekeler was targeted at least four times per game in the passing game and carried the ball at least 11 times. That leaves a lot of volume available for Justin Herbert and the offense.
Another factor that favors Jackson is the absences of Mike Williams and Jaylen Guyton in the passing game. Keenan Allen will play, but with the Chargers listed as a double-digit favorite, it should shape up to be a positive game script for a running back.
Whether you need to replace Ekeler or are debating Jackson against one of your other running backs, it could be the decision that determines who advances to the championship in your league.
Justin Jackson Fantasy Football Rankings & Advice
According to our consensus rankings compiled by experts Sean Koerner and Chris Raybon, Jackson comes in at RB10 for standard scoring leagues. He receives a slight bump to RB9 in half-point PPR leagues.
That puts Jackson ahead of David Montgomery, Josh Jacobs and more.
Remember, our experts update their rankings all the way up until kickoff. As news breaks and more information is released, their projections will be updated.
