Joshua Kelley

26-Year-Old Running BackRB

Free Agent

2023 Rush/Rec Stats

ATT

107

YDS

405

YDS

2024 Projections

ATT

YDS

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2023 Fantasy Outlook

After a brutal first two seasons with the Chargers, Kelley finally gained some traction in his third year. The 2020 fourth-round pick from UCLA was bottled up for just 456 yards and two touchdowns on 144 carries entering last year -- a mere 3.2 yards per carry -- so his still-mediocre 2022 box score of 287 yards and two touchdowns on 69 carries (4.2 YPC) marked a significant improvement. The Chargers seemingly played Kelley ahead of 2022 fourth-round pick Isaiah Spiller mostly because of blitz pickup and scheme familiarity. Losing that edge this season with a new offensive coordinator coming in could cost Kelley his job, even though Spiller is coming off an unimpressive rookie year with only 21 touches. The good news for Kelley is soft competition behind Austin Ekeler, with those two and Spiller joined by last year's fourth-stringer, Larry Rountree, and a few undrafted rookies. Read Past Outlooks

RANKS

Overall

Running Back

Height 5'11"

Weight 212

DOB 11/20/1997

College UCLA

Drafted 4th Rd 2020 #112 Overall

Roster spot uncertain for '24

RBLos Angeles Chargers

January 8, 2024

Kelley tallied two carries for one yard in Sunday's 13-12 loss to the Chiefs. He finished the season with 107 carries for 405 yards and two touchdowns to go along with an additional eight receptions for 32 yards.

ANALYSIS
Kelley played 18 offensive snaps Sunday, his most playing time since Week 13. It's unclear why he suddenly jumped over Isaiah Spiller, who was a healthy inactive despite three straight weeks of relief play, but neither backup running back really did much when Austin Ekeler was healthy. Kelley finished the 2023 season with a career-high 405 rushing yards in large part due to a four-week stretch to begin the season where he operated as the starter with the aforementioned Ekeler sidelined, but he averaged just 3.6 yards per carry across 57 rush attempts. The 26-year-old enters the offseason an unrestricted free agent and might not be a candidate to return to Los Angeles given the expected coaching and front-office upheaval.

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NFL Stats

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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats

See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.

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Advanced NFL Stats

How do Joshua Kelley's 2023 advanced stats compare to other running backs?

This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.

Broken Tackle %
The number of broken tackles divided by rush attempts.
Positive Run %
The percentage of run plays where he was able to gain positive yardage.
% Yds After Contact
The percentage of his rushing yards that came after contact.
Avg Yds After Contact
The average rushing yards he gains after contact.
Rushing TD %
Rushing touchdowns divided by rushing attempts. In other words, how often is he scoring when running the ball.
Touches Per Game
The number of touches (rushing attempts + receptions) he is averaging per game
% Snaps w/Touch
The number of touches (rushing attempts + receptions) divided by offensive snaps played.
Air Yards Per Game
The number of air yards he is averaging per game. Air yards measure how far the ball was thrown downfield for both complete and incomplete passes. Air yards are recorded as a negative value when the pass is targeted behind the line of scrimmage. All air yards data is from Sports Info Solutions and does not include throwaways as targeted passes.
Air Yards Per Snap
The number of air yards he is averaging per offensive snap.
% Team Air Yards
The percentage of the team's total air yards he accounts for.
% Team Targets
The percentage of the team's total targets he accounts for.
Avg Depth of Target
Also known as aDOT, this stat measures the average distance down field he is being targeted at.
Catch Rate
The number of catches made divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
Drop Rate
The number of passes he dropped divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
Avg Yds After Catch
The number of yards he gains after the catch on his receptions.
% Targeted On Route
Targets divided by total routes run. Also known as TPRR.
Avg Yds Per Route Run
Receiving yards divided by total routes run. Also known as YPRR.

Broken Tackle %

6.5%

Positive Run %

82.2%

% Yds After Contact

61.2%

Avg Yds After Contact

2.3

Rushing TD %

1.9%

Touches Per Game

6.8

% Snaps w/Touch

31.1%

Air Yards Per Game

0.1

Air Yards Per Snap

0.01

% Team Air Yards

0.0%

% Team Targets

1.9%

Avg Depth of Target

0.2 Yds

Catch Rate

66.7%

Drop Rate

16.7%

Avg Yds After Catch

5.0

% Targeted On Route

6.8%

Avg Yds Per Route Run

0.18

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2023

2022

2021

2020

2023 NFL Game Log

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2022 NFL Game Log

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2021 NFL Game Log

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2020 NFL Game Log

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Receiving Alignment Breakdown

See where Joshua Kelley lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.

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Side

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2023 Joshua Kelley Split Stats

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Measurables Review View College Player Page

How do Joshua Kelley's measurables compare to other running backs?

This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.

Height

5' 11"

Weight

212 lbs

40-Yard Dash

4.49 sec

Shuttle Time

4.28 sec

Cone Drill

6.95 sec

Vertical Jump

31.0 in

Broad Jump

121 in

Bench Press

23 reps

Hand Length

9.63 in

Arm Length

31.63 in

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Latest Fantasy Rumors

Likely to get Week 4 start

RBLos Angeles Chargers

September 29, 2023

Kelley, who's started the last two games for an injured Austin Ekeler, appears set to reprise his role as the No. 1 back in Sunday's Week 4 matchup against the Raiders with Ekeler listed as doubtful for the contest due to his ankle injury.

ANALYSIS
Kelley hasn't been able to capitalize on his opportunities, gaining a scant 51 yards on 24 carries and only adding one reception for five yards as a receiver in that pair of starts. However, those two games came against the stout run defenses of the Titans and Vikings. In contrast, Sunday's matchup versus the Raiders sees Kelley get a crack at a unit surrendering a more palatable 122.8 rushing yards per contest at 4.3 yards per carry.

See All NFL Rumors

Past Fantasy Outlooks

2022

2021

2020

Kelley struggled mightily in his second season with the Chargers, as he played just 135 offensive snaps across 10 games compared to 297 snaps in 14 games during his rookie campaign. A lackluster career 3.2 yards-per-carry average has highlighted the 24-year-old's inability to break off chunk runs and Kelley doesn't add much as a pass catcher either. The Chargers drafted Isaiah Spiller in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft and signed veteran Sony Michel at the end of the preseason, but it's possible Kelley's experience with the Chargers keep him second on the depth chart to open the season.

Drafted in the fourth round last year, Kelley looked like he might thrive as a physical complement to Austin Ekeler after he punched home a touchdown from inside the five-yard line in Week 1 and then piled up 113 total yards in Week 2. By the end of the year, though, Kelley had trouble getting into the lineup on a consistent basis, managing only nine offensive snaps the final five games. While he has good straight-line speed (4.49 40) and runs with some power, his inability to avoid contact is a major issue, and his 3.2 YPC last season was lowest in the league among RBs with at least 100 carries. Kelley also doesn't offer much as a receiver, though Ekeler dominates that role anyway. Justin Jackson has been more productive when healthy and the Chargers added more competition in the draft, selecting Larry Rountree in the sixth round, so Kelley will have to fight for his backup role this summer.

After the Chargers said goodbye to Melvin Gordon, adding backfield depth in the draft became a priority, and they wound up selecting Kelley in the fourth round. A downhill runner out of UCLA, he has the power and balance to hammer through contact, and, with a 4.49 40, good speed once he finds open space. His lack of vision, elusiveness or receiving skills make him unlikely to become a true three-down back, but as a complementary option behind new starter Austin Ekeler, Kelley could thrive between the tackles and in short-yardage situations. The rookie will compete with holdover Justin Jackson for those backup touches, and Kelley might be a better fit for the role, given that he's about 15 pounds heavier at 5-11, 212. With Ekeler relatively unproven in a full-time role, there could be a decent number of snaps and carries available for whoever emerges as the Chargers' No. 2 back.

More Fantasy News

Low snap share again

RBLos Angeles Chargers

January 2, 2024

Kelley tallied two carries for two yards in the 16-9 loss to the Broncos on Sunday.