Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler and Yahoo Sports’ Fantasy Analyst Matt Harmon discuss the season turned in by our fantasy superstar. He not only finished the year as RB1, but delivered an epic 30.1 point performance on Fantasy Championship Sunday that earned Austin an unforgettable nickname. Catch fresh episodes of Ekeler’s Edge every Wednesday on Yahoo Sports and your favorite social media platforms. Listen to Ekeler’s Edge on the Yahoo Fantasy Football Forecast wherever you get podcasts.

Video Transcript

AUSTIN EKELER: Some of my fantasy crew was letting me know that, hey, people are calling you bald Jesus on Reddit and all this stuff.

MATT HARMON: Bald Jesus. I-- no, I have not seen that. You're breaking news to me.

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Obviously, we did not get to talk to you after week 17 because we took some time off for Damar Hamlin, and, I mean, buddy, we know that you love fantasy football. We know that you're all in on the whole fantasy football experience, the community, but for you to go out and-- I mean, you've had an incredible season this year. You're the running back one in PPR. You're the running back 1 and half PPR. We don't talk about quote, standard, because that's old school nonsense. Nobody plays that anymore so who cares.

But you had an incredible season all the way around, but then in week 17, bro, you go out and you drop an absolute hammer. Yeah, you're a legend. You're a fantasy football legend pretty much because of that for all the time.

AUSTIN EKELER: There's been a saying I've heard, bald Jesus, I think, is my nickname in the fantasy--

MATT HARMON: I've--

AUSTIN EKELER: Have you heard that?

MATT HARMON: I have not. I have not heard bald Jesus, man.

AUSTIN EKELER: I don't know. One of my-- some of my fantasy crew was letting me know that, hey, people are calling you bald Jesus on Reddit and all this stuff.

MATT HARMON: Bald Jesus. I-- no, I have not seen that. You're breaking news to me.

AUSTIN EKELER: All right. All right, so maybe it's not as popular as I thought. But, anyway, championship weekend, that was like cap it off, man. Just the whole sum of just my energy towards fantasy football was all in one game for the championship weekend, to bring it home and get a lot of people a win, I'm sure. And, man, just the support that came pouring out of social media all over the place just reiterated, man, why I love to tap into the fantasy community because there's so many passionate people about it that are so passionate about football and fantasy football.

And so when you're able to do it at the right time-- right? Timing is everything. And definitely came alive at the right time.

MATT HARMON: I mean, at just about the perfect time. So, again, to go back to that week 17 performance, you got 30.1 points in Yahoo scoring, 10 carries, 122 yards, two touchdowns, four catches on four targets for 39 yards against the LA Rams. And it's funny because you've talked at different times this year about you feel like you're not having your best season, or there's areas where you can improve. And I think part of that has been the running game. But was it any sweeter for you being like, you know what? It wasn't those cutesy little catches, the cutesy little check down stuff, it was like running for 122 yards on a team that won the Super Bowl last year. Even if they've been banged up.

Yeah, it felt good. It definitely felt good. I can't lie about that. I've been getting stuffed for the past whatever week since the Browns game, so finally felt good to rip off some big runs and have a high efficiency in the run game.

MATT HARMON: A couple of other points on this-- you were on the most championship rosters for Yahoo public leagues. You were on 22.2% of the championship rosters for public leagues. Now, I know that-- 22%, that doesn't sound like that much or anything, but just to put it into context, only one other guy was over 20% and that was Patrick Mahomes at 20.9%. Everybody else in the top 10 was between like 17% to 14%. So, again, by the numbers, hell of a season by you. You did it at the right time.

But revisit your early season, Austin. I know that this seems like ancient History. Week one-- 7.2 points. Week two-- 9.4 points. Week three-- 5.3 points. Ekelers edge mailbag panic questions that we got, probably 60.5 on a weekly basis about why is Austin not-- why is this-- what about these other guys catching the ball? Sometimes, it pays off to be patient, baby.

AUSTIN EKELER: It's funny you say that because I always, every once in a while, I'll get something that pops up, either a comment or a DM, or someone to put a little note and, like, I've done some personalized videos on experience, where it's like, hey, this guy traded me to you because he was tired of you after week three. Because he was tired of you and traded you away to me and we won the championship. And I was like, music to my ears, man, of like, yes.

MATT HARMON: That's the best.

AUSTIN EKELER: Someone who believed. He wanted to trade for me, got me, and we took it all the way, So. Shout out to the believers that stayed with me because, yes, patience-- patience, for sure.

MATT HARMON: I'm just glad you had an incredible season. I'm happy for you. I'm happy for everybody that had you on their team. I wish I had more Austin quick teams, but maybe next year, pal. Maybe next year. We'll see what happens.

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