The Los Angeles Chargers are one of the league's most exciting teams entering the 2022 NFL season. They retained stars such as Justin Herbert and Joey Bosa from last year's squad and acquired key players such as Khalil Mack and J.C. Jackson. The sheer amount of talent on the roster makes the Chargers a dark-horse Super Bowl pick this year.

With all the talent in Los Angeles, running back Austin Ekeler sometimes slips between the cracks for some. Ekeler enjoyed a career year in 2021 with over 1,500 yards from scrimmage and 20 total touchdowns. Despite owning some of the best stats of any running back, it wasn't enough to earn his first Pro Bowl selection.

Pro Bowl voters may not recognize Ekeler's talent, but fantasy football fans certainly do. His average draft position on NFL.com fantasy is 3.29, second only to Jonathan Taylor. Fans clearly expect the Chargers running back to perform once again in 2022.

The question surrounding Ekeler is whether he's worth such a high selection. So, let's take a look at his outlook for the season and try to answer that question.

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Austin Ekeler 2022 Fantasy Football Outlook

The biggest concern with any player from a fantasy football standpoint is injuries. After all, fantasy owners have a hard time earning points when their players are on the sideline.

Austin Ekeler is solid from an injury standpoint but shows some red flags as well. The only time he missed extended time was in 2020, when he missed six games with a hamstring sprain. However, he also suffered many smaller injuries throughout his early career.

Ekeler fractured his wrist in late 2017 and played the rest of a season in a cast. He also suffered a concussion in the final game of 2020 and sprained his ankle late in 2021. He rarely missed any games, but these small injuries add up and could limit his production.

On the bright side, Ekeler is the undisputed top back in Los Angeles. The Chargers' second-leading rusher, Justin Jackson, finished with less than half of Ekeler's yards and is no longer with the team. His main backup should be rookie Isaiah Spiller. Additionally, Ekeler accounted for two thirds of LA's rushing touchdowns on the year, so he'll earn big points by finishing off drives.

He also has a clear role in the Chargers' passing attack. Despite having two 1,000-yard receivers in Mike Williams and Keenan Allen, Herbert still threw to Ekeler often last season. Ekeler even finished with eight receiving touchdowns in 2021, two more than Allen.

Los Angeles' schedule is a mixed bag for Ekeler's fantasy outlook. The Chargers play some games against poor defenses in 2022, including Houston, Seattle, Kansas City and Atlanta. However, they also face more stingy units such as San Francisco, Cleveland and Denver.

After the bye in week eight, the Chargers play against playoff teams in seven of their last ten games. Additionally, two of their non-playoff opponents in that stretch, Indianapolis and Miami, still finished above .500. The schedule is definitely tough, but the Chargers have enough talent to go head-to-head with any opponent.

Overall, Austin Ekeler is an excellent target in the first round of a fantasy draft. His injuries and tough schedule raise some concerns but the sheer amount of touches he gets make him very enticing. He deserves his reputation as a top-five running back in fantasy football.